A little wine boosts omega-3 in the body: Researchers find a novel mechanism for a healthier heart

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Public release date: 4-Dec-2008

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-12/cu-alw120408.php

Contact: Americo Bonanni

bonanni@...

39-

Catholic University

A little wine boosts omega-3 in the body: Researchers find a novel

mechanism for a healthier heart

Results from the European study IMMIDIET show that moderate wine intake

is associated with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids considered as

protective against coronary heart disease

Moderate alcohol intake is associated with higher levels of omega-3

fatty acids in plasma and red blood cells. This is the major finding of

the European study IMMIDIET that will be published in the January issue

of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, an official publication

of the American Society for Nutrition and is already available on line

(www.ajcn.org ). The study suggests that wine does better than other

alcoholic drinks. This effect could be ascribed to compounds other than

alcohol itself, representing a key to understand the mechanism lying

behind the heart protection observed in moderate wine drinkers.

The IMMIDIET study examined 1,604 citizens from three geographical

areas: south-west London in England, Limburg in Belgium and Abruzzo in

Italy. Thanks to a close cooperation with General Practitioners of these

areas, all participants underwent a comprehensive medical examination,

including a one year recall food frequency questionnaire to assess their

dietary intake, alcohol consumption included.

Omega-3 fatty acids, mainly derived from fish, are considered as

protective against coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death, thus

their high blood concentration is definitely good for our health.

Now European researchers found that moderate alcohol drinking acts like

a 'trigger', boosting the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in our body.

" Several studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption, including

wine, is associated with protection against coronary heart disease and

ischemic stroke - says Romina di Giuseppe, lead author of the study,

from the Research Laboratories at Catholic University of Campobasso -

Although the mechanisms are not completely defined, there was some

evidence that alcohol intake might influence the metabolism of essential

polyunsaturated fatty acids, as omega-3. That is exactly what we found

in our population study. People drinking moderate amounts of alcohol,

one drink a day for women and two for men, had higher concentration of

omega-3 fatty acids in plasma and red blood cells independently of their

fish intake " .

However important these results appear to be, the best is yet to come.

Researchers from Catholic University of Campobasso, in Italy, and from

University of Grenoble, in France, turned their attention on the variety

of alcoholic beverages consumed in order to see whether the high levels

of omega-3 fatty acids detected might be ascribed to alcohol itself or

to other substances.

" From our previous studies we know that association between wine

drinking and increased concentration of omega-3 fatty acids have been

observed – says Michel de Lorgeril, from the University of Grenoble,

partner of the IMMIDIET project and co-leader of the study -

Nevertheless, it was not possible to separate the effects of wine from

those of beer or spirits. Our study of 3 populations with different

dietary habits and different consumption of alcoholic beverages types

allowed us to explore this aspect. " .

" Analysis carried out on different alcoholic beverages –argues Licia

Iacoviello coordinator of the IMMIDIET study at Catholic University of

Campobasso - showed that the association between alcohol and omega-3

fatty acids was present in both wine drinkers and beer or spirits

drinkers. However, the association was stronger between wine drinking

and omega-3 fatty acids levels. This suggests that components of wine

other than alcohol is associated with omega-3 fatty acids concentration.

We may guess this effect can be ascribed to polyphenols " .

Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds contained in a different

variety of food and beverages, such as wine. Due to their strong

antioxidant activity, they are able to reduce oxidation processes caused

by free radicals.

" We consider these data to be a major finding - de Lorgeril concludes -

opening a new window in the field of cardiovascular prevention. Beyond

the alcohol issue, our results raise crucial questions regarding the

effects of polyphenols on lipids (both in blood and cell membranes) and

possibly of lipids on polyphenols " .

The IMMIDIET study

Funded by the European Union under Key Action 1: Food, Nutrition and

Health QLK1-CT-2000-00100, IMMIDIET aims to acquire fundamental

knowledge in the field of cardiovascular disease, especially regarding

the interaction between genetics and lifestyle.

At the core of the study there is an important episode of Italian

migration: Belgium, a country that became the new home for thousands of

Italians, mostly from the Abruzzo region, who came to work in the mines.

Many of those emigrants didn't come back to Italy but remained in their

new country. Some of them married a Belgian partner. Their genes

remained the same, of course, but how much " Italy " is still there in

their diet? And how much did they transmit it to their spouses?

Moreover, how many Italian emigrants assimilate dietary habits of the

country in which they were guests? In this framework, the role of

genetic factors and lifestyle can be assessed to explore new ways in

prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

To carry on the research, married couples have been recruited in three

European areas: South-East London in England, Limburg in Belgium and

Abruzzo in Italy. In the first phase of the study the couples involved

were formed by people from the same area, Italians married with Italians

(in the Abruzzo region), Belgians married with Belgians (in the Limburg

area) and English married with English (in the South-East part of London) " .

The second phase of IMMIDIET recruited mixed Italian–Belgian couples to

understand if, acquiring dietary habits from Abruzzo, the Belgian

partner changed his own risk regarding heart diseases.

###

IMMIDIET PARTNERS

Scientific coordinator:

Licia Iacoviello

Laboratory of Genetic and Environmental Epidemiology, Research

Laboratories, " II " Center for High Technology Research and

Education in Biomedical Sciences, Catholic University, Campobasso - Italy

Participants:

Jozef Arnout

Center for Molecular and Vascular Biology, Katholieke Universiteit,

Leuven - Belgium

Buntinx

Department of General Practice, Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven - Belgium

Francesco P. Cappuccio

Clinical Sciences Research Institute, University of Warwick Medical

School, Coventry – United Kingdom

Pieter C. Dagnelie

Department of Epidemiology, NUTRIM Subdivision of Nutritional

Epidemiology, Maastricht University - The Netherlands

Michel de Lorgeril

Nutrition Vieillissement et Maladies Cardiovasculaires, UFR de Medecine,

La Tronche, Grenoble - France

Vittorio Krogh

Nutritional Epidemiology Unit, National Cancer Institute, Milan - Italy

Alfonso Siani

Unit of Epidemiology and Population Genetics, Institute of Food Sciences

CNR, Avellino - Italy

--

ne Holden, MS, RD

" Ask the Parkinson Dietitian " http://www.parkinson.org/

" Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease "

" Parkinson's disease: Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy "

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