With the festive season approaching, I suspect some of us might be enjoying the occasional extra glass of red wine. Now, before anyone thinks I’m about to recommend drinking more of it for our health, I’m certainly not. But it does provide a rather nice introduction to a plant compound I’ve been meaning to write about for a while.
That compound is a polyphenol called resveratrol, and although it’s probably best known for its association with red wine and antioxidants, there’s a rather interesting story emerging about its relationship with our gut bacteria.
You may remember hearing about the so-called French Paradox, which attracted considerable attention back in the 1990s. Researchers were intrigued by the relatively low rates of coronary heart disease observed in France, despite traditional diets containing plenty of butter, cheese and other foods rich in saturated fat. Red wine, and particularly its resveratrol content, was suggested as one possible explanation.
Of course, nutrition is rarely that straightforward, and the French Paradox has never been convincingly explained by resveratrol alone. Nevertheless, it helped put this naturally occurring compound, found in grape skins, certain berries, peanuts and Japanese knotweed, firmly on the scientific map.
And while the original excitement centred on its antioxidant properties, researchers have since begun exploring something rather unexpected.
An Interesting Relationship With Our Gut Bacteria
We’re increasingly discovering just how much our gut bacteria contribute to what happens inside our bodies, from helping us process certain nutrients to interacting with our immune system.
One bacterium attracting particular attention is Akkermansia muciniphila. It’s not exactly a name that rolls off the tongue, but it has become an interesting subject in gut health research.
Akkermansia lives within the protective mucus layer lining our intestines, where it feeds on components of that mucus. Scientists are particularly interested in its relationship with gut barrier function, as well as possible links with blood glucose regulation and insulin sensitivity.
So, where does resveratrol come into this?
Some early studies suggest that resveratrol may influence the composition of our gut microbiome, including levels of Akkermansia. In a small study of men with metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors including raised blood glucose and blood pressure, researchers observed an increase in Akkermansia in a subgroup taking resveratrol. However, the findings weren’t consistent across all participants.
Resveratrol is also being investigated for its influence on cellular processes involved in inflammation, energy metabolism and ageing, while human studies have explored its effects on blood glucose regulation, blood vessel function and other cardiovascular markers.
Some findings have been encouraging, but the results aren’t always consistent. Studies have used different doses and formulations, often with relatively small numbers of participants, so there’s still plenty we don’t understand.
Nevertheless, this growing body of research highlights just how interesting polyphenols are, particularly in relation to our gut microbiome and the complex ways plant compounds interact with the body. While we still have much to learn about individual compounds such as resveratrol, it gives us another reason to appreciate the wide variety of polyphenols naturally present in our food.
So, Should We Be Drinking More Red Wine?
Well, I’m afraid that’s not the conclusion. The amounts of resveratrol used in clinical research are generally far higher than we would obtain from drinking wine, and alcohol carries its own health risks.
What I find much more encouraging is the growing appreciation of the many different plant compounds we consume through our diets.
Resveratrol belongs to a larger family of polyphenols, which are found in foods such as berries, grapes, cocoa, olive oil, herbs and a wide variety of colourful fruits and vegetables. Each provides its own mixture of compounds, giving us another good reason to enjoy plenty of variety rather than focusing on one supposedly remarkable ingredient.
So, if you do enjoy a glass of red wine over the festive season, enjoy it for what it is rather than thinking of it as a health supplement.
For me, the really interesting part of this story is how much we’re still discovering about the relationship between plant compounds and our gut microbiome. It’s an area of nutrition research that I suspect we’ll be hearing considerably more about in the years ahead.
Further Reading
If this has sparked your interest, you might enjoy my more detailed article, Resveratrol: Why Is It Suddenly So Popular?, where I explore the wider research, including absorption, cardiovascular health and the growing interest in resveratrol and healthy ageing.
