December 6, 2009

  • Drink Wine or Not?

    There is a reason to have a small amount of red wine after dinner.

    Adam Hayashi's thesis titled "EFFECTS OF DAILY ORAL INJECTIONS OF QUERCETIN ON IMPLANTED COLON-25 TUMOR GROWTH IN BALB-C MICE" tells us one of the reasons. Adam supplied three oral dosages dosages of quercetin at 0.4 mg, 0.8 mg, and 1.6 mg to Balb-c mice implanted with colon-25 tumors. It was then found that certain dosages of quercetin in alcohol solutions, reduces the weight, and size of implanted Colon-25 tumors in Balb-c mice, and these dosages of quercetin produce a profound neutrophilia combined with a significant lymphopenia at day 20 post-implantation. However, there was relatively little evidence of histological changes in the quercetin-treated tumor section.  This indicate that the action(s) of quercetin is primarily at the subcellular level probably within the nuclei of the tumor cells.

    Then, what is quercetin? Quercetin is a flavonoid which gives color to many fruits, flowers, vegetables and wine. In general, flavonoids are antioxidants, they scavenge damaging free radicals. Flavonoids may help keep LDL cholesterol from being damaged, leading to heart disease. Quercetin supplements are available as pills or capsules, and bromelain is always present in quercetin products.

    In addition to quercetin, red wine also contains resveratrol.

    I don't drink wine; I don't like the taste and smell of alcohol. In addition, too much of alcohol causes liver diseases.
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    Reference: Hayashi, Adam, Effects of daily oral injections of quercetin on implanted Colon- 25 tumor growth in Balb-c mice. Master of Science (Biology), University of North Texas, May, 2000, 27