Red Wine and Red Grapes May Help Fight Depression

A new study from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine’s found that resveratrol, a natural anti-inflammatory agent found in the skin of red grapes, can prevent inflammation as well as depression-related behaviors in rodents exposed to social stress.

This research investigates potential treatments for people with an increased susceptibility to depression and related disorders related to social stress. 

This study is leading researchers to see a correlation between eating red grapes and drinking red wine and reduced depressive symptoms. Researchers hope this new finding will encourage scientists running clinical trials to test the effectiveness of natural anti-inflammatory agents on depression. This is a very understudied area but it appears that the chemical resveratrol helps fight inflammatory agents throughout the body. Other studies have shown that this presence in red wine may be responsible for red wine's ability to prevent blood vessel damage and reduce LDL cholesterol. 

This is naturally present in the skin of red grapes and red wine and it's also sold as a supplement. 

Red wine has long been thought to be good for heart health. Believe it or not, the alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and protecting against artery damage. One might ask, "How does alcohol help the heart?" Studies have shown that moderate amounts of all types of alcohol benefit your heart because it raises HDL and reduces the formation of blood clots. 

On the other hand, grapes are extremely high in antioxidants and help with eye health.