British professor Roger Corder, has found a link between grape seed extract and longevity in a hilly region called Nuoro, a remote place in Sardinia, Italy, where many centenarians (ratio 24:10,000) live.
He and his team have discovered that the wines brought back from Sardinia had an exceptionally high content of polyphenols found in grape seed. The wines were made from grapes grown at high altitudes. Grapes contain polyphenols that are powerful antioxidants found in studies to help reduce the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels.
Professor Corder points out that it is not the alcohol that plays a role in the protection of cardiovascular disease but the polyphenols and a grape seed extract would be just as effective as consuming wine.
Source : Roger Corder et al “Endothelin-1 synthesis reduced by red wine” Nature (20 Dec 2001) 414: 863-864
Chapter: Health :: 16 April 2007
