By Lori Perkins
A study came out last week that, once again, revealed that one glass of red wine a day is a good thing for most women. On top of previous studies that report that drinking moderate amounts of red wine may have beneficial side effects, such as lowering cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of heart disease or stroke, and that the pairing red wine with cheese is even associated with greater cognitive activity in older adults, a new study found that drinking red wine might help women with endometriosis.
The new study, which was published in the journal Nature, suggests that resveratrol found in red wine could even slow the progression of the painful uterine condition, where a woman's uterine lining starts to grow outside of the uterine wall and onto other areas such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes or intestines. This progressive disease can cause severe and chronic pain, irregular bleeding and infertility. The onset of endometriosis usually happens a few years after the start a woman's first period and gradually progresses in severity.
The new study found that resveratrol might be able to slow the progression of endometriosis. The researchers isolated uterine lining (endometrial) cells from a group of 40 women, with cells from 15 women who didn't have endometriosis serving as a control group, and treated them with resveratrol. They found that resveratrol was able to suppress the gene and protein that contribute to the growth and migration of the endometrial cells.
Resveratrol, a compound found in red wine and a number of other dietary sources such as the skin of grapes, peanuts, soy and berries, has come into the spotlight in recent years for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Some speculate that resveratrol may even suppress tumor progression.
So, drink up! And add some cheese with that glass of red while you’re at it.