Red wine ‘not good for older men’

Older men who enjoy a glass of red wine are undoing the benefits of any regular exercise, warns a new study.

Red wine may undo benefits of exercise in older men

Researchers have found that a compound in red grapes, including red wine, counteracts exercise benefits in older men.

In older men, a natural antioxidant compound found in red grapes and other plants – called resveratrol – blocks many of the cardiovascular benefits of exercise, according to the research published in The Journal of Physiology.

Resveratrol has received widespread acclaim as a possible anti-ageing compound and is now widely available as a dietary supplement. Much has been made of its role in explaining the 
cardiovascular health benefits of red wine, and other foods.

However, new research by 
scientists at The University of Copenhagen, in Denmark, surprisingly suggests that eating a diet rich in antioxidants may actually counteract many of the health benefits of exercise, 
including reduced blood pressure and cholesterol.

In contrast to earlier studies in animals in which resveratrol improved the cardiovascular benefits of exercise, this study in humans has provided evidence that in older men, resveratrol has the opposite effect.