杏吧原创

JUST a glass and a half of white wine a day could help protect against
autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, claim Italian researchers.

Previous studies have shown how a component in wine called resveratol may
help prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson鈥檚 and Alzheimer鈥檚
(New 杏吧原创, 9 January 1999, p 13).
Now Alberto Bertelli and his colleagues at the
Universities of Milan and Pisa have found other components of wine that have
potentially beneficial effects.

The team looked at the effect of tyrosol (p-hydroxyphenyl ethanol) and
caffeic acid on human white blood cells. They discovered that the
chemicals鈥攚hich are found in several kinds of white wine from Germany and
Italy鈥攎odulated the release of three types of cytokines, chemical
messengers in the body鈥檚 immune system. The cytokines involved are known to be
responsible for the inflammation caused by autoimmune diseases such as
rheumatoid arthritis. The finding led the researchers to conclude that white
wine could help to prevent such diseases. Bertelli plans to present his results
at a conference in Palo Alto, California, next week.

But David Isenberg at the Centre for Rheumatology at University College
London says there is no epidemiological evidence to back up Bertelli鈥檚
conclusions. 鈥淚f it were true you鈥檇 expect to see the lowest incidences of
rheumatoid arthritis in wine-drinking countries such as Italy, but that is not
the case,鈥� he says. Instead, the lowest incidences occur in small African
villages where white wine is unlikely to be available.

Curiously, tyrosol is also present in extra virgin olive oil, which has long
been used as a remedy to treat the inflammation caused by burns. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why our
grandmothers have always suggested covering small burns with a little oil,鈥� says
Bertelli.