Healthy ingredient in red wine ‘harms unborn baby’

File photo: Reuters

File photo: Reuters

Published Oct 21, 2014

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London - Pregnant women who have the odd drink should avoid red wine, researchers suggest.

They say that an ingredient in the wine that is normally viewed as healthy could harm their unborn child’s pancreas.

Resveratrol has been credited with having protective effects against heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and a number of other conditions.

Naturally present in red wine, red grapes and some berries, it is also available as a supplement.

However, a study now suggests it can lead to developmental abnormalities in the foetal pancreas. Lead researcher on the study Dr Kevin Gove said: “Resveratrol is widely used for its recognised health benefits, and is available over the counter.

“The message in this study is that women should be very careful about what they consume while pregnant, and they should not take supplements, like resveratrol, without consulting their doctors. What might be good for mother may not be good for baby.”

The study was carried out at Oregon Health and Science University in the US. Dr Grove and colleagues gave resveratrol supplements every day throughout pregnancy to obese macaque monkeys eating a Western diet. A second group of obese monkeys was not given the supplement, and both were compared with lean monkeys fed a healthy diet.

The animals’ foetuses were analysed and definitive evidence of pancreatic abnormalities was found. The study was published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal. - Daily Mail

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