Resveratrol Protects Lungs

The inhalation of smoke, especially from cigarettes, is a leading cause of lung cancer. But new research on lung cells in a lab shows a glass or two of red wine may help prevent the disease.

A team of researchers from the University of California at Merced has focused their attention on resveratrol, to see if its properties as an antioxidant may prevent lung cancer development.

Before tumors grow in lung tissue, there is inflammation partly due to the buildup of toxic free radicals. As an antioxidant, resveratrol acts as an anti-inflammatory, binding with and removing free radicals. But what the researchers found caught them completely off guard.

“Resveratrol did not chemically remove free radicals,” during the experiment, said researcher Dr. Henry Forman, a professor at the Merced school of natural sciences. “Instead, resveratrol protects caspases,” which are enzymes that kill off precancerous cells in the process of keeping lung tissue healthy.