References & Sources

Is alcohol the key to the French paradox?

Acetaldehyde, a chemical resulting from the normal metabolism of alcohol, may explain why having a drink or two each day lowers the risk of heart disease.

References:

Al-Abed, Y., and R. Bucala. 1999. Does antagonism of advanced glycation by acetaldehyde resolve the "French paradox"? Meeting of the American Chemical Society. August. New Orleans.

Further Readings:

1996. Chocolate: As hearty as red wine . . . Science News 150(Oct. 12):235.

Al-Abed, Y., et al. 1999. Inhibition of advanced glycation endproduct formation by acetaldehyde: Role in the cardioprotective effect of ethanol. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 96(March 2):2385.

Bucala, R., and H. Vlassara. 1995. Advanced glycosylation end products in diabetic renal and vascular disease. American Journal of Kidney Diseases 26(December):875.

Fackelmann, K.A. 1998. Valuable vices. Science News 153(Feb. 28):142.

Khalifah, R.G., J.W. Baynes, and B.G. Hudson. 1999. Amadorins: Novel post-amadori inhibitors of advanced glycation reactions. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 257:251.

Lipkin, R. 1993. Wine’s chemical secrets. Science News 144(Oct. 23):264.

Mlot, C. 1997. Running on one-third empty. Science News 151(March 15):162.

Raloff, J. 1998. Red wine: Why it’s heart-ier than white. Science News Online: Food for Thought (Aug. 22).

______. 1997. Teasing out tea’s heart benefits. Science News 152(Nov. 29):348.

______. 1997. Versatile cancer weapon in grapes. Science News Online: Food for Thought (Feb. 8).

______. 1996. Of tea and heart disease. Science News 150(Sept. 7):150.

______. 1996. A couple of heart-friendly dark brews. Science News 149(May 4):287.

______. 1996. Have Danes solved the French paradox? Science News 149(March 30):197.

______. 1993. Add tea to that old ‘apple a day’ adage. Science News 144(Oct. 30):278.

Seachrist, L. 1995. Wine, beer, liquor benefit the heart. Science News 148(Dec. 2):380.

Vlassara, H. 1996. Advanced glycation end-products and atherosclerosis. Annals of Medicine 28:419.

Sources:

Yousef Al-Abed
Picower Institute for Medical Research
Laboratory of Organic Chemistry and Drug Design
350 Community Drive
Manhasset, NY 11030
Web site: http://www.picower.edu/

Raja G. Khalifah
University of Kansas Medical Center
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160-7421
Web site: http://www.kumc.edu/biochemistry/rkhalifa.html

From Science News, Vol. 156, No. 10, September 4, 1999, p. 150. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.