Leveraging the French paradox for heart protection

You may have heard of the French paradox…

Basically, it comes down to the fact that even though the people of France consume a diet high in cholesterol and saturated fats on a daily basis (think eggs, butter, cream, rich cheeses, and pates), they appeared to have a very low incidence of heart disease and death due to heart-related problems.

The theory came about in the 1980s, but more recent research throws a lot of questions at it. Apparently folks in Finland consume fat and cholesterol at about the same rate as the French but have a rate of heart attack that’s five times higher.

We’ve learned there are good and bad fats and balance in diet is important.

But a lot of experts felt the French secret had to do with the habit of consuming wine with most meals — specifically red wine.

Why is that?

Because red wine is packed with an antioxidant known as resveratrol.

And, studies have backed up this belief…

Heart-healthy phytonutrient

A review of 159 studies found that resveratrol has the power to:

#1 – Enhance N-0 availability

Nitric oxide or N-O helps to dilate your blood vessels allowing blood to flow freely and lowering blood pressure.

And, the studies show that resveratrol enhances the bioavailability of nitric oxide by improving endothelial function so that it can do its job.

#2 – Protect against atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a hardening or thickening of the arteries that blocks blood flow and drastically increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Yet, the studies show that resveratrol could modify the lipid profile that leads to atherosclerosis, by decreasing plasma triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol levels, and by increasing HDL-cholesterol.

And, yes…

That means that resveratrol could be the key to optimizing your cholesterol too.

#3 – Guard against stroke

The studies also discovered that resveratrol could protect against ischemic stroke and even limit the damage they cause.

The research using rat models found that resveratrol helps to maintain endothelial function and keep cells viable despite oxygen deprivation as well as decreases brain damage and inflammation, and preserves blood-brain barrier function.

It even reduced the size of the stroke or infarct seen.

 #4 – Decrease blood clots

And, that’s not all…

The studies also found that resveratrol can prevent platelets from aggregating to cause blood clots and could reduce the damage of heart attacks and reduce arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat).

What is Resveratrol?

What is this amazing heart-healthy resveratrol exactly?

Resveratrol is part of a group of compounds called polyphenols that act like antioxidants, protecting the body against damage..

As you can imagine, it’s found abundantly in the skin of red grapes (and therefore red wine) as well as blueberries, mulberries, cranberries, pistachios, and raw cocoa.

But of late, there has been so much research painting even moderate alcohol consumption — including wine — in a negative light as far as our health is concerned.

That’s why I choose to take a resveratrol supplement instead to put the French Paradox to work for me.

Sources:

1. Resveratrol and Cardiovascular Diseases — Nutrients
2. What about the French Paradox — Nutrition Facts.org
3. What Is Atherosclerosis? — WebMD