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Published online 28 November 2007 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2007.305
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Red wine mimic can fight diabetes
Chemical cousin of red-wine extract restores insulin sensitivity in mice.
Drugs that mimics the health-protection effects of a chemical compound in red wine could form the basis of the next generation of treatment for diabetes.
An extract of red wine, resveratrol, is known to temper the damage done by fatty diets, helping to extend healthy life and battle fat-related disease.
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I love red wine but a friend of mine told me that he had started taking resveratrol based on a doctors suggestion about six weeks ago. My friend was experiencing chronic fatigue and was having trouble sleeping. I asked him how it was working out and he said that he was taking a type of resveratrol called Transmax and that after two weeks the results were subtle but undeniable. He said that he had more energy during the day, was more alert throughout the day and was sleeping less but waking up more refreshed. So based on his experience I decided to give it a try. I have had similiar results after just two weeks. It is only recently that I have heard about its anti-aging benefits. There is something to this resveratrol, I have no idea if I will live longer but I can tell you that I am living better now.
I believe Nature has an obligation to issue a warning that ramifications a report such as this can have on its readers. Type 2 diabetics, in general, have to discipline themselves to the idea that "zero transfats", "zero cholesterol" and "zero sugar" are only marketing strategies when what is meant by "zero something" is indeed "nothing added" while it may already contain enough of the bad stuff. Thus for a type 2 diabetic eating a donut is healthier than eating a bagel owing to differential carb content. Also, portion sizes are critical to success of a tighter control of blood sugars. Products like resveratrol can only be beneficial when life style changes accompany drinking red wine. And most importantly not all individuals will respond the same way to similar foods because of genetic factors.