Researchers have successfully converted chalcone synthase, a biosynthetic protein enzyme in all higher plants, into a resveratrol synthase. An element of red wine, resveratrol has been found, in a number of studies, to provide a wonderful list of health benefits:
The surprising fact about resveratrol found by researchers: This compound is produced by grapes as a defense against fungi.
For a long time, scientists knew chalcones and stilbenes (individual classes of natural products in plants with different properties) were created by closely related enzymatic proteins. Chalcone chemicals provide a number of important biological functions in all higher plants including roles in fertility, disease resistance and flower color. Conversely, resveratrol and other rare anti-fungal stilbenes are produced in just a few plants, including blueberries and pine trees.
After discovering the differences between these related plant enzymes, researchers converted the chalcone synthase in alfalfa into a resveratrol-producing compound by reconfiguring a handful of amino acids. The resulting advance will allow scientists to develop natural resveratrol production in crops with a small modification of the plant's chalcone synthase gene that already takes place in grapes.
EurekAlert September 17, 2004
Chemistry and Biology September, 2004;11:1179-1194
Typically, I would be totally against any process in which genetic modification was a factor. However, this is a pleasant exception, as this group of scientists is looking to spur the natural production of resveratrol, a compound I remain extremely excited about, that naturally occurs in grapes and a few other plants by modifying the chalcone synthase gene in other plants.
A known cancer fighter, resveratrol belongs to a family of compounds known as polyphenols, which are known to combat damaging free radicals in the body.
Modifying those genes would eventually give you a larger variety of whole foods from which to receive your daily resveratrol besides red wine and grape skins. For the record, fresh grape skin only contains about 50 to 100 micrograms of resveratrol per gram, while red wine concentrations range from 1.5 to 3 milligrams per liter.
While red wine is shown to provide some great health benefits, I do not advocate drinking red wine at all as I am convinced that the alcohol itself is actually a poison and will unbalance your hormones. I am looking into using grape pomace. Grape pomace, a by-product of winemaking and is loaded with resveratrol and many other polyphenolic bioflavanoids and antioxidants. To the best of my knowledge it is not commercially available.
If you insist on drinking red wine you also need to check on the growing conditions of the grapes and how the wine is made. If the wine isn't made with organic grapes, it may contain no resveratrol at all. You also need to be aware that consuming large amounts of wine or grapes, which have a lower concentration of antioxidants than wine, will increase insulin levels and eventually have a negative impact on your health. It may be beneficial to consume whole grape skins and pass up the meat of the grape, which has no resveratrol but a lot of extra fructose.
Besides that, consuming large amounts of wine or grapes will eventually increase and have a negative impact on your health.
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