Using the sap of grapevines, European folk healers cured skin and eye diseases. Another historical use include the leaves being used to stop bleeding, pain and inflammation of hemorrhoids. For treating sore throats unripe grapes were used, raisins were given as treatments for consumption (tuberculosis), constipation and thirst. For the treatment of cancer, cholera, smallpox, nausea, skin and eye infections as well as kidney and liver diseases, ripe grapes were used.

Seedless grape varieties were developed to appeal to consumers, but researchers are now discovering that many of the healthful properties of grapes may actually come from the seeds themselves.

The French Paradox
The French Paradox refers to the fact that people in France suffer relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease, despite their diet being rich in saturated fats. The phenomenon was first noted by Irish physician Samuel Black in 1819.

It has been suggested that France's high red wine consumption is a primary factor in the trend. This theory was expounded in a 60 Minutes broadcast in 1991. The program catalysed a large increase in North American demand for red wines from around the world. It is believed that one of the active ingredients potentially related to this effect in red wine is resveratrol.

Modern Research
Recent research suggests that the regular and moderate consumption of alcohol, and in particular wine, may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 50%. Furthermore, your overall lifespan may also be significantly increased. Moderate consumption is considered as approximately three to four standard drinks of alcohol per day for men and one to two for women, where a standard drink is 10 g of alcohol or approximately 100 mL of wine. The consumption of alcohol and wine above this moderate amount will, conversely, increase your risk of cardiovascular and other diseases, and hence decrease your overall lifespan.

Recent research suggests that the regular and moderate consumption of alcohol and wine promotes both short-term and long-term cardioprotective effects. For example, regular consumption prolongs and maintains these short-term cardioprotective effects on blood clotting and on the plasma concentration of cholesterol.

There have been many studies done that actually show that alcohol can be very beneficial to ones health as long as it is consumed in moderation. The FDA has suggested that one to two glasses of red wine might help reduce one's cholesterol and decrease the chances of cancer. Studies have even shown that alcohol might benefit many bodily organs, including the heart and the brain.

Recent research also suggests that the cardioprotective effects of wine are imparted by the alcohol component (approximately 75% of the effects) and by the wine-specific phenolic compounds and their polyphenolic forms (approximately 25% of the effects). Phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins and tannin, give wine its characteristic color and flavor, and red wine typically has a 200-fold greater concentration of phenolic compounds than does white wine.

Resveratrol and other grape compounds have been positively linked to fighting cancer, heart disease, degenerative nerve disease, and other ailments. Red wine typically has health benefits not found in white wine (with some exceptions) because many of these compounds are found in the skins of the grapes and only red wine is fermented with the skins. The first scientific study of the relationship between alcohol consumption and atherosclerosis was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1904. The first epidemiological study to report that moderate drinkers exhibit greater longevity than abstainers or heavy drinkers was published in 1926 by Raymond Pearl. Hundreds of studies have followed in recent decades. As of 2006, no scientific studies have yet been conducted on the effectiveness of the substance in providing positive health benefits for humans, but research in the area is active.

Resveratol
Modern research on resveratrol, a chemical found in grape skins, as a tool against cardiovascular disease, cancer and aging, has begun to back up some of the assertions of the folk healers. The research says, "Resveratrol has been shown to modulate the metabolism of lipids, and to inhibit the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins and the aggregation of platelets."

Grapes contain beneficial compounds called flavonoids, which are phytonutrients that give the vibrant purple color to grapes, grape juice and red wine; the stronger the color, the higher the concentration of flavonoids. These flavonoid compounds include quercitin, as well as a second flavonoid-type compound called resveratrol. Resveratrol is a phytoalexin produced by several plants that is sold as a nutritional supplement. A number of beneficial health effects, such as anti-cancer, antiviral, neuroprotective, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and life-prolonging effects have been reported in non-human species. (i.e. rats).

Benefits of resveratrol
The Journal of Biological Chemistry (J. Biol. Chem., Nov 2005; 280: 37377 - 37382 ) reported: "Several epidemiological studies indicate that moderate consumption of wine is associated with a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Wine is enriched in antioxidant compounds with potential neuroprotective activities. However, the exact molecular mechanisms involved in the beneficial effects of wine intake on the neurodegenerative process in Alzheimer's disease brain remain to be clearly defined."

Sources of resveratrol
While present in other plants, such as eucalyptus, spruce, and lily, and in other foods such as mulberries and peanuts, resveratrol's most abundant natural sources are Vitis vinifera, labrusca, and muscadine grapes, which are used to make wines. It occurs in the vines, roots, seeds, and stalks, but its highest concentration is in the skin.

The resveratrol content of wine is related to the length of time the grape skins are present during the fermentation process. Thus the concentration is significantly higher in red wine than in white wine, because the skins are removed earlier during white-wine production, lessening the amount that is extracted. Grape juice, which is not a fermented beverage, is not a significant source of resveratrol. A fluid ounce of red wine averages 160 µg of resveratrol, compared to peanuts, which average 73 µg per ounce. Since wine is the most notable dietary source, it is the object of much speculation and research.

Cancer-Related Effects
Resveratrol is being studied to see how it affects the initiation, promotion, and progression of cancer. With regard to tumor initiation, it has been shown to act as an antioxidant by inhibiting free radical formation, and as an anti-mutagen in rat models. Resveratrol appears to decrease tumor promotion activity.

Saponins
A plant protective agent found in the grapes' waxy skin, which dissolves into the wine during its fermentation process, saponins are believed to bind to and prevent the absorption of cholesterol and are also known to settle down inflammation pathways, an effect that could have implications in not only heart disease, but cancer. The research team, led by Andrew Waterhouse, PhD, from the University of California, Davis, thinks that alcohol may make the saponins more soluble and thus more available in wine.

Pterostilbene
In addition to resveratrol and saponins, grapes contain yet another compound called pterostilbene (pronounced TARE-oh-STILL-bean), a powerful antioxidant that is already known to fight cancer and may also help lower cholesterol. In a study using animal liver cells, scientists at the USDA Agricultural Research Service compared the cholesterol-lowering effects of pterostilbene to those of ciprofibrate, a lipid-lowering drug, and resveratrol, another antioxidant found in grapes with a chemical structure similar to pterostilbene that has been shown to help fight cancer and heart disease.

Digestive Prophylaxis
A study published in January, 2003, in the American Journal of Gastroenterology showed that moderate, regular consumption of wine or beer decreases the risk of peptic ulcers and may help to rid the body of the bacteria suspected of causing them. Interestingly, both over-consumption, especially of beer, and any regular consumption of spirits at all, even at a low level, seemed to increase the ulcer risks. Other medical studies point to multiple benefits of regular moderate wine drinking that may include lowered risks of stroke, colorectal tumors, skin and other types of cancers, senile dementia, and even the common cold, as well as reduce the effects of scarring from radiation treatments.

References

1. Celotti E and others. Resveratrol content of some wines obtained from dried Valpolicella grapes: Recioto and Amarone. Journal of Chromatography A 730(1-2): 47-52, 1996.
2. Soleas GJ, Diamandis EP, Goldberg DM. Resveratrol: A molecule whose time has come? And gone? Clinical Biochemistry 30:91-113, 1997.
3. Kopp P. Resveratrol, a phytoestrogen found in red wine. A possible explanation for the conundrum of the 'French paradox'? European Journal of Endocrinology 138:619-620, 1998.
4. Jang M and others. Cancer chemopreventive activity of resveratrol, a natural product derived from grapes. Science 275:218-220, 1997.
5. Gehm H and others. Resveratrol, a polyphenolic compound found in grapes and wine, is an agonist for the estrogen receptor. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. 94:557-562, 1997.
6. Sanders TH, McMichael RW. Occurrence of resveratrol in edible peanuts. Presentation, American Oil Chemists Society, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1998. Discussed in Peanuts contain significant amount of plant compound that may prevent risk of heart disease and cancer, a news release from The Peanut Institute, Sept 8, 1998.