Resveratrol is getting a lot of attention these days.
Found in grape skins (and released by fermenting wine) as well as in some fruits and roots, it is a polyphenol said to help protect against some heart and age-related diseases. Some say it is the reason for the ''French Paradox'' that came to prominence in the 1990s. (This was the paradox that the French had a lower incidence of heart disease than some other countries although the French ate a lot of saturated fat. It was put down to the fact that they also drank red wine).
However, research on resveratrol so far has not included rigorous testing using human subjects. Resveratrol supplements are available, and now resveratrol-enhanced wines (REW) are on the market, first developed in Australia by Dr Philip Norrie. Southern Wines is the sole licensee in New Zealand. Wine normally contains between 0.5mg and 4mg of resveratrol/ bottle, depending on variables. Annie Winmill of Southern Wines says her REW wines contain about 75mg/ bottle. A milligram (1mg) is one-thousandth part of one gram.
