Red Anti-Virus

Can’t wait to the end of the month for the H1N1 vaccine? Perhaps you should pour yourself a glass or two of a Lodi Zin!

According to a new study, published in the July issue of the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, and written-up in the Wine Spectator, that hard-to-pronounce compound, Resveratrol, found in red wines may stop viruses from reproducing.

A single virus snaps onto one of the cells in your lung, for example, then injects its viral DNA which goes to work replicating itself and hijacking the cell to manufacture more viruses.

In some way not yet understood, Resveratrol interferes with replication of viral DNA, keeping your lung cell from becoming a breeder of more viruses, which means you stay healthy.

The researchers were working with a virus that causes easily-measured tumors in mice. Tumors that were arrested began growing again when Resveratrol was withheld for four hours, allowing them to help establish the effectiveness of the compound.

Since viruses are being linked to cancers, these discoveries could lead the way to potential cures.

The only trouble is that this study is using concentrations of Resveratrol equal to much more wine that you’d be able to drink in a day!