ENJOYING a glass of red wine at the end of a hard day really does relieve stress and anxiety, scientists say.
A 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.
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Resveratrol is already known to have other health benefits, such as warding off heart disease.
Researchers have found it also impacts on our neurological processes.
The compound helps to regulate an enzyme called PDE4 (phosphodiesterase 4) which is released by the body’s stress hormone, corticosterone.
But when the stress is severe, too much of the hormone is produced to try to deal with it.
This lowers resistance and has a negative effect, leading to depression or other mental disorders.
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Resveratrol inhibits PDE4 from doing this, suggesting it could work as a more effective ingredient in antidepressant drugs, the teams from New York state’s Buffalo University and China’s Xuzhou Medical University said.
Study author Ying Xu told the specialist journal Neuropharmacology: “Resveratrol may be an effective alternative to drugs for treating patients suffering from depression and anxiety disorders.”
Last year experts in Brazil found resveratrol in red wine could help fight cancer tumours.
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