Red wine good for the lungs

Red wine, already thought to be good for your heart, may be good for the lungs too. A compound found naturally in red wine could help fight chronic bronchitis and emphysema. A recent study found that resveratrol, which is found in the skin of red grapes, could reduce the amount of harmful chemicals in the lungs that cause the diseases. Resveratrol is already thought to be one of the reasons why people in wine-drinking countries, such as France, have low rates of heart disease. The illnesses, known together as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), kill an estimated 2.9 million people a year worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation. And smokers are 10 times as likely as non-smokers to die of COPD. It seems that drinking red wine in moderation as part of a healthy, balanced diet can reduce lung inflammation. Researchers from the Communications Committee of the British Thoracic Society wanted to test whether benefits of wine could extend to lung disease as well. In the study, lung fluid samples were taken from 15 smokers and 15 COPD patients. When resveratrol was added to the samples, it cut production of interleukin 8, a chemical that causes inflammation of the lungs. Production interleukin 8 was reduced by 94 percent in smokers and by 88 percent in COPD patients. COPD is now commonly treated with steroids, but resveratrol might prove more effective. It would not reverse the damage that has occurred to the lungs, but could help stop it from getting any worse, she said. Although there is probably not enough resveratrol in a glass of wine to stop chronic lung disease, the substance could be administered directly with an inhaler, according to the researchers.

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