Can Red Wine Help You Lose Body Fat?
Find out if a new study proves that red wine could help lower body fat and promote
There’s no magic panacea for weight loss. The only way to achieve lasting weight
reduction is to eat the right foods and burn more calories than you take in with
exercise. Although there’s no magic bullet, there are certain natural chemicals
and food ingredients that can help to “tip the scales” in your favor by subtly boosting
metabolism. One example is green tea which appears to modestly increase metabolic
rate in animals. Preliminary studies also show it has a similar effect in humans,
the equivalent of burning an extra sixty to eighty calories a day. More recently,
a study published in the journal Nutrition showed that red wine may help to lower
body fat percentage and promote weight loss.
Red Wine to Lower Body Fat Percentage: A Study
This study showed that rats who were given red wine as their only drink for a two
month period experienced less weight gain than control rats who received only water
- despite the fact that they ate the same diet. The rats that drank the red wine
also showed a decrease in the size of their body fat cells. Why would this occur?
The researchers noted that the rats given the red wine showed increased production
of aromatase. Aromatase is an enzyme which causes fat cells to produce more estrogen
and may lead to a decrease in fat storage.
Red Wine to Lower Body Fat Percentage: Is There Other Evidence?
Other studies have also suggested that red wine could be useful for weight loss
and it’s been thought that the weight loss benefits could be due to the chemical
resveratrol found in red wine. Resveratrol is being studied for its potential to
promote weight loss and also as an “anti-aging” supplement. Unfortunately, a person
would have to drink a great deal of red wine to get amounts large enough to have
an impact on weight loss or aging. Although resveratrol supplements are being marketed
as weight loss and anti-aging supplements, there’s no evidence that they’re safe
for long term use.
Should You Drink Red Wine for Weight Loss
Don’t pop the cork off that bottle of red wine just yet. It’s unclear whether the
same weight loss benefits apply to humans and how much red wine is needed to lower
body fat percentages. In this study, red wine was the only drink the rats were given
which could mean you’d have to drink red wine exclusively to get the weight loss
effects. This could bring on a whole new set of health problems, particularly in
women. Several recent studies have shown that drinking even a single glass of wine
each day can raise the risk of breast cancer in women.
Red Wine to Lower Body Fat Percentage: The Bottom Line
Drinking red wine to lower your body fat or lose weight is still unproven in humans,
but could hold some future promise. Drinking red wine has shown other health benefits
such as raising HDL levels (the good cholesterol) and protection against heart disease.
Unfortunately, drinking red wine may not be safe for women at high risk of breast
cancer. For men, it could prove to be another small weapon in the battle to fight
off excess pounds.
Written by: Dr. Kristie
Posted: July 31, 2009