Can red wine assist weight loss?

Many people embarking on a slimming regimen automatically cut out alcohol, along with other indulgences, but a new study has suggested that the occasional glass of red wine may actually assist weight loss.

The groundbreaking research was conducted by Dr Kee-Hong Kim and colleagues at Purdue University in Indiana, US.

They suggest that a key component in red wine known as piceatannol can help to delay the generation of young fat cells and prevents them from growing into mature fat cells.

"Piceatannol alters the timing of gene expressions, gene functions and insulin action during adipogenesis – the process in which young fat cells become mature fat cells," he explained.

Further studies are now being carried out using animal model obesity to establish whether it has the same beneficial functions.

It backs up recent claims by Good Morning America and Reader's Digest, which suggested that drinking wine in moderation can act as a fat-releasing agent and help people to lose weight faster.

Do you believe drinking wine can help people to lose weight?