Do you crave for a glass of red wine after a tiring and stressful day at work -- sipping away as you look out into nothing? Turns out it could actually a good thing for you. A new study, published in the medical journal Neuropharmacology now finds that resveratrol, a compound commonly found in red wines has proved effective in eliminating signs of depression and anxiety in mice.
The chemical compound in the skin and seeds of grapes and berries used for red wine blocks an enzyme in the brain linked to stress, depression and anxiety.
Researchers from the University of Buffalo and Xuzhou Medical University in China pumped rodents full of corticosterone, a hormone that helps regulate response to stress in both mice and people.
They found that high doses of resveratrol blocked the phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) enzyme, a byproduct of corticosterone, and put the hyper-anxious mice in higher spirits.
Speaking about the same, lead author of the study Dr. Ying Xu, said that resveratrol may be an effective alternative to drugs for treating patients suffering from depression and anxiety disorders.
Incidentally, last year, experts in Brazil found that resveratrol in red wine could help fight cancer tumours as well.
While it is still far from being a viable antidepressant in the market, according to a Mayo Clinic report, alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent coronary artery disease, the condition that leads to heart attacks.
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