Conundrum of the “French Paradox”

Abstract

To the Editor: Certain populations, such as the French and the Greeks, have a low incidence of coronary artery disease, despite a diet relatively high in saturated fat. It has been suggested that regular consumption of red wine may explain this phenomenon, which has been dubbed the “French paradox,”1 ie, the coexistence of a high-fat diet and a low incidence of coronary artery disease. Although the cardioprotective effects of most alcoholic beverages are probably due to an elevation of high-density lipoprotein, as well as the ability of alcohol to prevent platelet aggregation and to increase fibrinolysis, there is an increased favorable effect of red wine.2 The unique cardioprotective properties of red wine reside in the action of flavonoids, which are absent in white wine (with the exception of champagne) and sparse in beer (with the exception of dark beers). The best research flavonoids are resveratrol and quercetin, which confer antioxidant properties more potent than α-tocopherol.2 As was summarized recently by Hung …