Winehealth 2010
4th International Congress Wine and Health. Abbazia di Rosazzo (Friuli), Italy, Oct 3rd-6th 2010.
Winehealth 2010
October 3rd-6th, 2010. Cividale, Rosazzo, Cormons (Friuli V.G., Italy)
Announcement
In the early 1990s, the blooming field of study of the positive impact of wine on human health was introduced by Serge Renaud and his concept of the “French Paradox.” The available evidence in nutritional epidemiology was paradoxical as the French had a low incidence of death due to cardiovascular disease despite consuming a diet high in saturated fat. In the original proposal, wine intake was suggested as the missing link between an unexpectedly low mortality and an unhealthy diet.
Although the key elements of the “paradox”, such as high intake of ‘unhealthy’ food and low incidence of cardiovascular disease in France are challenged today, the original proposal primed studies around the world to provide verification of the protective effect of wine and alcohol in general, and elucidation of biological mechanisms of the protection. After 20 years, a large number of epidemiological studies confirmed, on a worldwide basis, the substantial protective effect of alcohol when consumed regularly but in moderate amounts. The same set of evidence showed that inappropriate drinking such as binge drinking is unquestionably damaging.
The biphasic shape of the relationship between alcohol intake and risk, where low doses are more protective than abstinence, is clearly reminiscent of a hormetic effect. Although the mechanisms through which alcohol is frankly toxic at high doses have been well examined, the biological and molecular mechanism by which low doses of alcohol increase biological protection has never been clearly identified. Rigorous meta-analyses also indicated the wine as the most “protective” among alcoholic beverages. Apparently, this must depend upon additive and synergistic mechanisms. In vitro studies showed that a variety of compounds, present in various wines, but also in other vegetables, are competent in interfering with biological processes where the common emerging leitmotif is the biological control of the stress response. Inflammation, atherogenesis, thrombosis, diabetes and metabolic syndrome are the particular examples of where a stress response activates the pathological loss of cellular homeostasis that may be at least partially prevented by wine.
This Congress is aimed at gathering together the world leader experts in different aspects of the complex relationships between wine and health, to debate the epidemiological evidence of the effect of wine as a peculiar alcoholic beverage, and the sociological outcome in relation to the correct use and the prevention of abuse. The Congress is also aimed to get a deeper insight on the biological mechanisms involved, discussing how specific molecules present in different wines have specific biological activities. After a pioneering Meeting held in Udine in 1996 and the New York Academy of Science Meeting in 2001 in Palo Alto, California, the core group of scientist in this field, got together in Santiago (Chile) in 2002, Cape Town (South Africa) in 2005 and in Bordeaux (France) in 2007, setting up a series in which this is formally the fourth Congress.
Important Dates
Early bird registration: 15 June 2010
Abstract Submission: 15 July 2010
Info: fulvio.ursini@unipd.it