CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. — The low rate of heart disease in France may be due not only to the popularity of red wine but also to the garlic that flavors French cooking.
Researchers suspected someting in red wine was responsible for the so-called ‘French Paradox,’ the finding that people in France have a low rate of heart disease despite their high-fat diet.
Folts tested red wine’s effect on rats and found that the equivalent of two glasses of wine helped protect against heart affects. A compound in the wine called polyphenol is believed to prevent the formation of platelets in the blood, which can lead to hardening of the arteries and heart attack.
Polyphenols also are found in certain fruits and vegetables, including garlic.
Folts told an American Heart Association science writers’ meeting, ‘It may well be that if you ate a combination of fruits and vegetables and the red wine, you get enough of the polyphenolic compounds to have a significantly protective effect.’
He and other researchers credit the abundance of fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables in the Mediterranean diet, as well as moderate wine consumption, with producing heart benefits.
Folts cautioned however, that drinking more than two or three glasses of wine a day would cause enough harm to offset any health benefits.
For those who prefer to avoid drinking red wine or eating garlic, the beneficial polyphenolic compounds also are present in pineapple juice, Folts said.