Resveratol, found in red wine, can help fight depression, says new study

The researchers found that resveratrol, a plant compound found in red wine, has anti-stress effects and prevents depression

Want to relax with a glbad of red wine after a stressful day? Do not give all the credit to alcohol.

New research has revealed that resveratrol, a plant found in red wine, has anti-stress effects by blocking the expression of an enzyme linked to the control of brain stress, according to a study conducted by the 39, University of Buffalo.

The results shed light on the impact of resveratrol on neurological processes. According to the American Anxiety and Depression Association, depression and anxiety disorders affect respectively 16 and 40 million people in the United States.

"Resveratrol can be an effective alternative to treating patients with depression and anxiety disorders," says Ying Xu, MD, Ph.D., co-lead author and badociate professor of research at the UB School of Pharmacy. Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Although red wine contains resveratrol, alcohol consumption carries a variety of health risks, including addiction.

The study, published in the journal neuropharmacology, was also led by Xiaoxing Yin, PhD, professor at Xuzhou Medical University in China.

Protection against extreme stress

Resveratrol, which has been badociated with many health benefits, is a compound found in the skin and seeds of grapes and berries. Although research determined that resveratrol had antidepressant effects, the relationship between the compound and phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), an enzyme influenced by corticosterone, a stress hormone, was not known.

Corticosterone regulates the body's response to stress. Too much stress, however, can result in excessive amounts of hormone circulating in the brain and, ultimately, the development of depression or other mental disorders.

These unknown physiological relationships make drug treatment complex. Current antidepressants focus on serotonin or norepinephrine, but only one-third of depressive patients go into complete remission in response to these medications, Xu says.

In a study of mice, the researchers found that PDE4, induced by excessive amounts of corticosterone, caused a behavior similar to that of depression and anxiety.

The enzyme reduces cyclic adenosine monophosphate – a messenger molecule that signals physiological changes such as cell division, change, migration, and death – in the body, resulting in physical alterations in the brain.

Resveratrol has shown neuroprotective effects against corticosterone by inhibiting the expression of PDE4. The research lays the foundation for the use of the compound in newer antidepressants.

Although red wine contains resveratrol, alcohol consumption carries a variety of health risks, including dependence.