3 replies to this topic

[drmz]

I don't know if this has been posted already (did a search but couldn't find it)

Metal hazard from table wines

Potentially hazardous levels of metal ions are present in many commercially available wines. An analysis of reported levels of metals in wines from sixteen different countries, published in the open access Chemistry Central Journal, found that only those from Argentina, Brazil and Italy did not pose a potential health risk owing to metals.

Professor Declan Naughton and Doctor Andrea Petróczi from Kingston University, South West London, carried out the study, using a formula developed by the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency for the estimation of potential health risks associated with long-term exposure to environmental pollutants. This Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) gives an indication of risk based on published upper safe limits for various chemicals. A THQ below 1.0 is considered to be non-hazardous.

The authors found that THQ values for most wines were well above the value of 1.0 and thus are of concern. Typical potential maximum THQ values ranged from 50 to 200, with Hungarian and Slovakian wines reaching 300. THQ values for both red and white wines studied were high, having values ranging from 30 to 80 based on a 250mL glass per day.

Naughton said, “These values are concerning, in that they are mainly above the THQ value of 1.0. Excess intake of metal ions is credited with pathological events such as Parkinson’s disease. In addition to neurological problems, these ions are also believed to enhance oxidative damage, a key component of chronic inflammatory disease which is a suggested initiator of cancer.”

These results also question a popular belief about the health-giving properties of red wine: that drinking red wine daily to protect from heart attacks is often related to levels of ‘anti-oxidants’. However the finding of hazardous and pro-oxidant metal ions creates a major question mark over these supposed protective benefits. The authors recommend that, “Levels of metal ions should appear on wine labels, along with the introduction of further steps to remove key hazardous metal ions during wine production.” Visit here for the complete story http://www.journal.c...trycentral.com/


http://www.journal.c.../content/2/1/22

[drmz]

Any thoughts about this study ? Should i stop drinking wine now ? Or restrict it to one glass a day ?

[drmz]

Red wine triggers cell death and thioredoxin reductase inhibition: effects beyond resveratrol and SIRT1.
Red wine contains antioxidants and is at moderate amounts believed to exert certain positive health effects. Resveratrol is one of the most studied antioxidants in red wine and has been suggested to activate the longevity- and metabolism-associated histone deacetylase SIRT1. Here we show that relatively low concentrations of resveratrol (0.5-3 microM) specifically inhibited neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells in a SIRT1-dependent manner whereas higher concentrations of resveratrol (> or =10 microM) induced a SIRT1-independent cell death. Surprisingly, using a cell based assay, we found that small amounts of red wine (1-5% v/v)--but not white wine--induced a massive and rapid cell death of various cell types, including neural stem cells and several cancer cell lines. This red wine-induced cell death was ethanol-, SIRT1- and resveratrol-independent but associated with increased oxidative stress and inhibition of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) activity. The TrxR inhibition correlated with the red color (absorbance at 520 nm) of the wines demonstrating that pigment components of red wine can exert profound cellular effects. Our results unveil important roles for SIRT1 and TrxR in resveratrol and red wine-mediated effects on progenitor and cancer cells, and demonstrate that cellular responses to red wine may be more complex than generally appreciated.

[niner]

Any thoughts about this study ? Should i stop drinking wine now ? Or restrict it to one glass a day ?

I missed this post the first time around, but since it popped up... I wouldn't worry too much. The ions that are contributing to the high THQ values are Mn, Cu, and Zn, and these are all still at fairly low concentrations; much lower than one might obtain by supplementation. Levels of lead and other bad actors are far far lower. Regarding the cell-based assay, it probably doesn't mean all that much. The real question is what does wine do when you drink it, not what it does when cells are bathed in a concentration much higher than they will ever see in the body. There may be some possible relevance to oral epithelia and stomach lining, but these are made to take a lot of abuse.