According to scientists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a glass of red wine can prevent the build-up of cholesterol after a meal of dark or red meat.
The study indicated that antioxidants found in the wine known as polyphenols can prevent harmful compounds from being absorbed in the gut so they are therefore stopped from entering the blood stream where harm sub-sequently occurs.
Over a period of four days, 14 volunteers were served a series of meals of dark turkey cutlets while a smaller group of the same individuals repeated the diet, but on this occasion each meal was accompanied with a glass of red wine.
Participants that ate the meat alone had increased levels of a compound known as malondialdehyde in their blood stream. After just four days of eating the meat, the levels of modified cholesterol had increased by 97 per cent. Such modified cholesterol is responsible for hardening arteries and creating plaques that lead to heart disease, which also explains why red wine has frequently been found to reduce the risk of heart problems.
According to the study, which is published in the Journal of Functional Foods, the levels of modified cholesterol in those participants that ate their meat with a glass of red wine either remained unchanged or in some cases actually decreased.
A professor from the institute of drug research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem told The Daily Telegraph: “Meat is rich in polyunsaturated fat and cholesterol. Our results could provide an explanation for the association bet-ween frequent meat consumption and increased risk in developing cardio-vascular diseases.
“Including polyphenol-rich products as an integral part of the meal significantly diminishes these harmful effects,” he concluded.