So much for all those bottles of red wine you stocked up on to get through Hurricane Sandy. New research shows that if you’re a healthy woman, the often-touted benefits of drinking red wine may not apply to you.
The study involved 29 post-menopausal women who were reasonably healthy and did not have type 2 diabetes. Researchers wanted to test whether resveratrol, an ingredient found in red wine, had the same benefits in healthy women as it does in rodents and people with abnormal metabolic problems. Resveratrol has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, reduce risk of heart disease, and burn fat in those two groups.
Half the women took an over-the-counter resveratrol supplement of 75 milligrams, which is the same amount one would receive from drinking eight liters of red wine. The second half took a control pill.
After 12 weeks, researchers measured the women’s sensitivity to insulin and the rate of glucose in their muscles. Results showed that the resveratrol intake did not change body composition, resting metabolic rate, insulin sensitivity, or inflammatory markers.
The good news for women? At least you’re already healthy! We’ll still cheers to that.
The full study was published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
