Doctor's Analysis: Does Red Wine Burn Fat?

It seems we encounter a new food or nutritional supplement on a daily basis that claims to promote fat loss. While some prove to offer a slight benefit in the battle to control excess pounds, many prove to be a disappointment. This leaves the health conscious person with few alternatives other than diet and exercise to battle those excess pounds.

Recently, several studies have shown the potential for red wine to boost the metabolism. Can red wine burn fat?

The ingredient in red wine that appears to have the potential to help with weight control is an antioxidant known as resveratrol. This free radical scavenger is found in the skin of red grapes used to make red wine.

The benefits of resveratrol for weight loss were brought into focus after several animal studies showed that mice given a high calorie diet gained less weight when supplemented with resveratrol. To further confirm the potential benefits of resveratrol, researchers in France found that resveratrol supplements actually increased the number of energy producing cell components know as mitochondria in the bodies of mice studied. The increased number of mitochondria could have a significant impact on the body's ability to produce energy and burn fat.

Even more compelling is the fact that the benefits of resveratrol may extend far beyond the ability to promote fat loss. Ongoing studies are investigating the potential for resveratrol and red wine to help prolong life and reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases such as cancer.

Analysis

Should you jump on board the red wine band wagon if you're trying to lose those excess pounds? Are the claims that red wine can burn fat likely to hold up to scrutiny? First, it must be remembered the studies showing the fat burning effects of resveratrol were done in animals. It's too early to extrapolate the results to humans. Larger, well designed studies would need to be performed on humans before any firm conclusions can be drawn.