Many people spend after work hours with a glass of red wine in hand. While many are skeptical about people claiming to forget their problems and feel "happy" as they down a glass, scientists have found out in their recent studies that there might be some truth to this.
According to a new study from the University of Buffalo, there is a plant compound called resveratrol found in red wine which displays anti-stress effects. It works by blocking the expression of an enzyme related to the control of stress in the brain. This research has answered previous questions on what impacts resveratrol has on a human's neurological processes.
According to surveys held by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, there are 16 and 14 million people respectively affected by depression and anxiety disorders in the United States alone.
Ying Xu, M.D., Ph.D., research associate professor for UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the co-lead author of the study stated that resveratrol may be an effective alternative to the medication prescribed to treat patients that suffer from anxiety and depression. The said professor worked on the paper with his co-author, Xiaoxing Yin, Ph.D., a professor at Xuzhou Medical University in China. Their work was published in the journal Neuropharmacology.
According to the research, resveratrol is a compound commonly found in the seeds and skin of grapes and berries. Several studies link the said compound to some health benefits which includes anti-depressant effects. However, the relationship of the compound to phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), is still unknown. PDE4 is an enzyme that is influenced by corticosterone, otherwise known as the stress hormone.
Although the body's response to stress is regulated by corticosterone, too much stress can lead to excessive amounts of the said hormone. This could then lead to the development of depression among other mental disorders.
It is unknown physiological relationships, such as resveratrol to PDE4, that makes drug therapy complex. As of the moment, most anti-depressants are focused on the function of the brain that involves serotonin or noradrenaline. Xu points out, however, that only about a third of the total number of patients with depression have exhibited full remission in response to current medication.
Still, the experts warned drinkers that even if red wine contains resveratrol, there are also health risks that come with the consumption of alcohol - one of which being addiction.
