Modern medicine? Red wine shouldn't be viewed as cure-all

Modern medicine? Red wine shouldn't be viewed as cure-all
(ARCHIVE PHOTOS, ARCHIVE GRAPHIC)
Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
(KRT)
The following editorial appeared in the Dallas Morning News on Monday, Sept. 1:
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A toast to long life?
It makes sense, according to a study published electronically in the journal Nature recently.
Biologists say a natural substance named resveratrol, which occurs in red wine, shows promise in extending life. There already is speculation that red wine helps explain how the French eat a lousy diet yet live to ripe old ages.
Thankfully, we aren't being urged to all go out and begin imbibing red wine to stave off old age (though some scientists say they have begun routinely drinking a moderate amount a glass a day). Red wine has been getting a lot of good press in the last few years, with people touting such things as its anti-oxidant properties.
At least the proponents are talking moderation. That's well and good. Still, it is reminiscent of the Dark Ages, when the black death stalked Europe. Some people then decided that alcohol was a good way to stave off the plague. The result, according to some theories, was that the Renaissance was uneven because some societies stumbled forward through a drunken fog. It may not be valid historical theory, but serves as a useful warning.
We all want to live long and prosper, and if science confirms all the benefits of red wine, we might start lifting a daily toast. Still, we can't help but remember Ambrose Bierce's definition of longevity: an uncommon extension of the fear of death.
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ARCHIVE PHOTOS on KRT Direct: red wine
ARCHIVE GRAPHIC on KRT Direct: red wine