Ordinary Drink Has Anti-Cancer Agents

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http://webcenters.compuserve.com/wmconnect/homerealestate/package.jsp?name=fte/whatyoudrink/whatyoudrink & floc=wn-wmOrdinary Drink Has Anti-Cancer Agents

It may sound like the name of a cough medicine, but acutissimin A is a potent anti-cancer chemical compound that has just been identified in red wine. Nature News Service reports that the molecule, which has previously shown promise as an anti-cancer drug, may form in red wine as it ages in oak barrels. Do you know what ELSE red wine does for you? Click to find out! First discovered 16 years ago in the bark of the sawtooth oak, acutissimin A blocks the action of an important enzyme, and in so doing might prevent the growth of cancerous cells, explains Nature News. Although it is still in the preliminary testing stage as an anti-cancer agent, acutissimin A has been shown to be 250 times more potent than the clinical anti-cancer drug VP-16. But before you start chugging red wine, note this: "It would be quite inappropriate to infer that red wine possesses anti-tumor properties," warns Stéphane Quideau, of the European Institute of Chemistry and Biology in Pessac, France. However, he does think it is worth mining red wine for compounds related to acutissimin A. Did you know that what you drink affects how you look? Find out the specific impact of wine, beer, and spirits. Acutissimin A is a polyphenol, and the polyphenols found in red wine, green tea, and chocolate are known to be antioxidants that might reduce the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis. Find out how a military tool is helping to make better wines.