Synopses & Reviews
Wine has been with us since Neolithic times. Genetic manipulation of the grapevine and medical applications of wine also have long histories, but only in the last two decades has proper scientific exploration been possible with the application of the modern technologies of analytical chemistry, molecular biology and clinical epiderniology.
Wine: A Scientific Exploration assembles a cast of world experts to present the different facets of the wine story, ranging from the enjoyment of drinking; its ancient and recent history; production biotechnology; grape lineages; and health considerations. The health benefits of wine were recognized by the ancients. The present consensus is that coronary heart disease mortality and morbidity is reduced by daily moderate consumption of wine compared with abstention or heavy drinking. The emerging evidence for the protective effect of wine on other forms of vascular disease, particularly stroke, as well as dementia, some types of cancer and macular degeneration are also reviewed, as well as its antimicrobial and antifungal activities and its potential role in migraine.
Wine science has come of age and this book describles the cutting edge. Suitable for consumption by all who have an interest beyond the mere pleasure of drinking wine.
Synopsis
Interest in wine science has grown enormously over the last two decades as the health benefits of moderate wine consumption have become firmly established in preventing heart disease, stroke, cancer and dementia. The growth of molecular biology has allowed proper investigation of grapevine identity and lineage and led to improvements in the winemaking process.
This book explores the history and appreciation of wine, its early role as a medicine and modern evidence on how and why wine protects against disease. It also addresses genetic modification of the grapevine, long recognized as a natural process, and of the microbes involved in the making of wine. Pharmacologists, biochemists, epidemiologists, physicians, and public health officials will find this book not only a wealth of data, but also a fascinating read.
About the Author
Merton Sandler is Emertius Professor Chemical Pathology, University of London, now at the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College Medical School, London, UK.
Roger Pinder is Vice President Medical Affairs, CNS & Thrombosis at Organon International Inc., Roseland, New Jersey, USA.