Role of wine components in inflammation and chronic diseases

Abstract

Population ageing is occurring on a global scale, with faster ageing projected for the coming decades than has occurred in the past. The protective effect of moderate wine consumption against diseases associated with ageing such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and certain cancers has been consistently observed over the past decades. All these diseases have an inflammatory component. Improving anti-inflammatory effects and endothelial function by means of drug and non-drug therapies such as moderate wine consumption might represent an important therapeutic target. There is sufficient epidemiological evidence accumulating plausible biological mechanisms to support an anti-inflammatory role for wine and wine-derived phenolic compounds such as resveratrol. Both the alcohol and phenolic components of wine, for example, have been observed to modulate soluble inflammatory mediators in vitro and in vivo. Further research is required to fully elucidate all the anti-inflammatory biological mechanisms of resveratrol and the other wine-derived phenolic compounds given that inflammation is a complex network of molecular and cellular interactions that facilitates a return to physiological homeostasis and tissue repair. A high level of risk factors for any degenerative disease and cancer may, however, mitigate any protective effects of moderate wine consumption.