[Cardio-protective effect of red wine as reflected in the literature].

Many scientific studies have been searching for the reason of so-called Paradox, the anomaly which means that in several parts of France and other Mediterranean countries the morbidity and mortality of coronary heart diseases in absolute value and in consideration of its rate to other manner of death is significantly lower than that is in other developed countries, despite of the high consumption of fat and saturated fatty acids. The reason of this cardioprotective effect might be among others the typical Mediterranean diet and the regularly consumption of red wine. This conception may be proved since the polyphenolic compounds present in red wine in concentration of 1800-3000 mg/l are antioxidants, free radical scavengers and inhibit the lipid peroxidation processes in vitro and in vivo, as well. Beside dietary antioxidants such as tocopherols, ascorbic acid and carotenoids, the polyphenolic compounds of plant origin exert favourable effects on cardioprotective mechanisms. Phenolic compounds of red win (flavonoids and non-flavonoid components) inhibit the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins, the eicosanoid synthesis and platelet aggregation and promote the formation of endothel-dependent relaxation factor (nitrogen oxide). According to scientific results of the last decade it seems to be proved that moderate consumption of red wine - 2-3 unit/day for healthy men, and 1-2 unit/day for healthy women (1 unit = 12 g alcohol) -, cannot be criticised either medically nor socially and have a beneficial effect on reducing coronary heart diseases.