New red wine antioxidant supplement captures health benefits of red wine in a pill

Saturday, September 22, 2007 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
Tags: resveratrol, red wine, health news

(NewsTarget) The health, nutrition and beauty supplement company NFI Consumer Products has released Resvinatrol Complete, which it bills as a healthy "red wine alternative."

"Resvinatrol Complete provides today's health-conscious consumers with an exciting combination of powerful antioxidants found in red wine, chocolate, pomegranates, red raspberries and soy," said NFI Chairman Richard Guy.

As well as containing the antioxidant resveratrol, which is found in red wine, the product also contains ellagic acid, proanthocyanidin, quercetin and soy lecithin. According to NFI, ellagic acid -- naturally occurring in raspberries and pomegranates -- inhibits tumor growth; quercetin -- naturally occurring in onions -- extends the activity of resveratrol beyond the usual 30 minutes; and soy lecithin reduces the amount of overall cholesterol in the blood.

Proanthocyanidin and resveratrol are antioxidants, which remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals have been shown to cause cell damage that is linked to heart disease, cancer and the effects of aging. Polyphenols, such as resveratrol and proanthocyanidin, have also been hypothesized to block the production of a protein linked to cardiovascular disease.

The health benefits of red wine have been widely confirmed, even receiving endorsement from the FDA, which says that drinking one to two glasses of red wine each day may lower cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer. Resveratrol, one of the active phytonutrients in red wine, is known to dramatically reduce the risk of death from heart attacks. It protects cardiovascular health and is well known as an "anti-aging" nutrient that protects the body from environmental stress.

Studies show resveratrol has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is believed to be the main reason why people who drink red wine tend to live longer, healthier lives.