I do love drinking red wine, not only for its smooth-sweet-bitter blend but because it is good for the heart like we've always been told.

According to a rat study: Resveratrol, the compound found in grapes, red wine and peanuts can improve the blood flow in the brain, therefore reducing the risk of stroke.

Researchers at the National Taiwan Normal University and the National Chia-Yi University report that rats with induced reduction of blood flow (ischemia) in the brain experienced an improved blood flow from a single dose of resveratrol.

"We found that resveratrol administration... led to cerebral blood flow Elevation and protected animals from ischemia-induced neuron loss," said lead author Kwok Tung Lu.

Strokes happen when blood clots or an artery burst which interrupts the blood supply to the brain. This new study on rats stating the stroke-limiting powers of resveratrol is published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (Vol. 54, pp. 3126-3131).

A glass of red wine on sleepless nights or after a stressful day usually relaxes me to sleep without being tipsy or drunk. If that is a result of resveratrol regulating my blood flow to the brain, then what this study is saying must really be true.

Read more at NutraIngredients.