The French Paradox

The French may be onto something. Despite a diet filled with rich foods and alcohol, they have a very low incidence of heart disease. How is that possible? The answer seems to lie in Resveratrol—a highly protective plant compound (polyphenol) and antioxidant powerhouse found in the skin of grapes, blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates, red wine and a few other natural sources such as Japanese knotweed.

Resveratrol (Res-vair-uh-traul) is a naturally-occurring powerful antioxidant which protects the body against damage from free radicals. The protective nature of this naturally-occurring antioxidant is not based solely on the wine the French drink, but rather the Resveratrol found in the skin of the grapes the wine is made from. In fact, the longer wine is in contact with the skins of the grapes, the higher the Resveratrol content of the wine. Red wine is full of naturally-occurring Resveratrol. Studies have shown promise that something in the wine held the answer…

The “French Paradox” lies in the fact that although the French regularly consume rich, fatty foods, smoke cigarettes and consume a higher amount of alcohol than most Americans—they have a far lower rate of heart disease and other related health issues. Some believe that the antioxidant-rich, protective plant compound Resveratrol (from the skin of the grapes in the red wine the French drink) just might be the missing piece to the puzzle.

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