Study discovers drinking red wine boosts spinal bone density in men with metabolic syndrome

A new research has revealed that a natural compound found in red wine and grapes, resveratrol, helps in boosting spinal bone density in men with metabolic syndrome.

Researchers at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark found that resveratrol, which is one of a group of plant compounds known as polyphenols and is also found in nuts, has anti-inflammatory properties and has been found to protect against bone loss in mice and rats.

Researcher Marie Juul Ørnstrup said that the study is the first to reveal resveratrol's potential as an anti-osteoporosis drug in humans and that their findings suggest the compound stimulates bone-forming cells within the body. Ørnstrup added that in just four months on high-dose resveratrol, they saw significant improvements in bone mineral density at the spine and elevated levels of the bone formation marker bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP). Ørnstrup continued that these are encouraging results and an additional research is needed to assess whether these bone protective effects occur in populations at risk of osteoporosis during the course of long-term treatment.

The study is published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.