To wine or not to wine - The value of red wine for health

The debate on the dangers of alcohol consumption versus the value of red wine in providing protection against heart disease have not as yet shown much signs of being resolved however some progress has been made with isolating and developing the magic key of red wine. Resveratrol, the molecule which is believed to provide red wine with its protective power is the focus however it's notoriously unstable and difficult to synthesise into compounds useful for human use. Likewise the polyphenols which plants derive from resveratrol to protect themselves from fungi are so small in quantity that it has been impossible to isolate and utilise them in the laboratory. 

Columbia University however has made progress with developing some polyphenols from compounds similar to, but not, resveratrol itself including an alternative process for synthesising additional compounds with an array of potential health properties including anti-cancer values in addition to protection againt heart disease. One of nature's most beneficial but hard to replicate secrets may yet be unlocked.