Media Vs Science

The claim promoted by the media, “Drinking one glass of red wine is equivalent to an hour at the gym”, has many readers excited. However, there are a few details several media stories fail to mention while ‘informing’ their readers of this phenomenon. One article described a study where rats’ hearts were monitored (left ventricle specifically) and they recorded MDA level data.

The chemical that was the focus of the study (and the media claims) is called resveratrol, which is found in red wine. They found that the group receiving resveratrol had a reduction in MDA (which is related to oxidative stress) and thereby indicating a protection against cardio-related diseases. While this article does discuss many of the benefits of resveratrol in red wine, it mentions that the amount of this chemical varies greatly from each type of wine, depending upon where it’s from. (Ray, Maulik, Cordis, Bertelli, & Bertelli, 1999) Another article describes yet another study once again conducted on rats. This study was much broader than the last, and aimed to observe any positive (or negative) effects resveratrol may have had, not just cardio-related. Their main conclusion was it served as a anti-inflammatory, and has very limited possible toxic side-effects since it is a naturally produced chemical and already ingested by so many. (Birrell, McCluskie, & Wong, 2005) An article published under the same company as the previous one conducted a similar trial with mice. They found resveratrol to have an effect of suppressing endothelial cell growth and thereby tumor growth.

However, this also means it slows the healing of wounds, which could be a negative to some. This is also the only article to place emphasis on the danger of consuming red wine in large amounts due to the alcohol content, regardless of the health benefits. (BRÅKENHIELM, CAO, & CAO, 2001) The final article I found was published with the work of the man quoted in many of the media claims. In their study, resveratrol was studied to observe the benefits to the cardiovascular system as well as its effects on calorie restriction. Their findings regarding all things cardio-related match up with other studies and are not unexpected. However, they do find that resveratrol has calorie restriction mimicking qualities without the subject being disciplined to actually change their calorie intake. This is probably where the media claims got the majority of the content from. The article does state that it’s unsure whether it would translate the same to human subjects, as this was only conducted on animals. (Dyck, Jason R. B. ; Dolinksy, Vernon W. ;, 2011) The claim from the media boldly states that a glass of red wine is the equivalent to an hour at the gym.

However, none of the media articles provide any of the scientific research that would allow their readers to know it’s not as simple and evolutionary as one would hope. Most don’t even discuss that the findings were gathered from studies on mice or rats, not humans. And none of the articles mentioned any consequences, such as the suppression of wound-healing the chemical can cause. While the consequence may not affect readers that much, other details would definitely change the optimism about these media articles. Those details include how much the amount of resveratrol can vary in different red wines, and that it might not even affect humans the same way it did the animals. These neglected facts are common in media articles. Purposely withholding information to excite viewers is a tactic many bloggers and advertisers use today. A good way to be sure of what’s being reported by the media is to do some research on what is presented. If it seems too good to be true, odds are it probably is.