By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Two of life's simple pleasures -- a glass of wine, a little time in the sun -- may have benefits for women's health.

Wine first: In a report from Spain, researchers at the University of Barcelona evaluated the effects of moderate consumption of red and white wine -- 6.8 ounces, or two glasses a day -- in 35 nonsmoking Spanish women, average age 38.

The study was done like any other controlled medical trial, with each woman drinking the recommended "dose" of either white or red wine for four-week periods, with a four-week dry period separating each round of study.

"The data showed that, in comparison with the baseline period, consumption of both red and white wines increased serum [blood] HDL cholesterol (often called 'good' cholesterol), which suggests a cardio-protective effect," said the report in the November issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"Similarly, serum concentrations of interleukin-6 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (both markers of chronic inflammation), decreased significantly after both wine ingestion periods," the authors wrote.

Other markers of cardiac health were affected "in a healthy way" by red wine a little more than by white wine, the researchers added. The study provides, "scientifically rigorous evidence" that moderate wine consumption helps keep the heart healthy by preventing low-grade inflammation in women, the Spanish team concluded.

"This continues to add to many other studies by showing the mechanisms by which both red and white wine help prevent heart disease," said Dr. R. Curtis Ellison, professor of medicine and public health at Boston University. "When you give women a glass and a half of wine each day, you have considerable effects on improving inflammation, a little more for red wine than for white," said Ellison, who was not involved in the research.

A number of other studies have shown the same protective effect in men, with slightly greater intake of wine, Ellison said.

Next, sunlight: In the same issue of the journal, a British-American team reported a trial in which levels of inflammation-related molecules were measured against blood levels of vitamin D, made naturally by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight.

"The purpose of the study was to see if there was a correlation between vitamin D levels and indicators of aging," said co-researcher Jeffrey P. Gardner, a professor at the Center of Human Development and Aging at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

In addition to measuring blood levels of inflammation-linked molecules such as C-reactive protein, the researchers also measured the length of sections of the women's DNA called telomeres.

"Other people's work indicated that telomeres were bioindicators of aging, more than a person's chronological age," Gardner said.

Longer telomeres indicate low levels of inflammation, he explained.

Sure enough, the data indicated that higher levels of circulating vitamin D was associated with longer telomere length. Women with the lowest concentration of vitamin C and highest concentration of C-reactive protein had telomeres short enough to indicate about 7.6 more years of aging than women with the highest vitamin D and lowest C-reactive protein levels.

"Optimal vitamin D status may provide a benefit during the aging process," the researchers concluded, with additional trials needed to prove the point.

Still, health experts caution that excessive exposure to sunlight remains a leading risk factor for skin cancer. And too much drinking can harm the body in numerous ways.

生活中有兩樣很簡單的幸福和樂趣--一杯葡萄酒和沐浴在陽光下。這兩樣都對女人的健康有益。

先說酒吧：西班牙的一份報告中稱，巴塞羅那大學的研究者針對35個平均年齡在38歲且不抽煙的西班牙婦女進行了調查評估，研究適量飲用葡萄酒--一天6.8盎司或兩杯酒對她們有什么影響。

跟其他受控的醫學試驗一樣，此項研究要求每個婦女飲用所薦用量的白葡萄酒或紅葡萄酒，四個星期為一個周期，每個周期之間有四個星期的無酒日。

《美國臨床營養期刊》（11月刊）的報告說：“數據結果表明，跟基線期相比，飲用白葡萄酒或紅葡萄酒會使血液中高密度脂蛋白（常稱為好膽固醇）增加，據稱有保護心臟的功效。”

作者說：“同樣，血清中白細胞介素-6和高敏C反應蛋白的濃縮（兩者都標志著有慢性炎癥）會在飲酒期后大大降低。”

研究者還提到,紅葡萄酒對心臟健康的益處比白葡萄酒要多一些. 這支西班牙隊伍總結說: 此項研究提供了”科學嚴謹的證明”, 即適量飲用葡萄酒能對女人輕度的炎癥起到預防作用而保持心臟健康.

波士頓大學醫藥與公共健康學院的R. Curtis Ellison 博士說：“此項研究為那些證明了紅葡萄酒和白葡萄酒都有助于預防心臟病的諸多研究增添了新的內涵。“Ellison博士并沒參與調研，他說：“如果你一天給女人一杯半葡萄酒，這會大大改善她們的炎癥，而且紅葡萄酒比白葡萄酒的效果要好一點兒。”

Ellioson說有一些研究證明葡萄酒對男人也同樣有保養效果，只是飲用量稍微大一些。

再說說陽光：在同一期的此期刊上，一支英美研究小組的試驗報告說，血液中維生素D的數量會因暴露在陽光中而由皮膚自然生出，且會與和炎癥有關的分子進行較量。

“這項研究的目的是想看看維他命D的水平與衰老跡象是否有聯系."研究合作者Jeffrey P. Gardner說道.他是紐澤西醫藥牙科大學人類發展與衰老中心的教授.

除了測量與炎癥有關的分子的血液水平外,象C-反應蛋白,研究人員還測量了一種叫端粒的女性DNA的長度.

Gardner 說:“別人的研究表明端粒是一種變衰老的生物指示器,比一個人的年齡還要長.”

他解釋說,長的端粒代表低水平的炎癥.

可以肯定,研究數據表明較高水平的維他命D的循環和較長的端粒有關.擁有高密度維他命C和高密度C反應蛋白的女性會使端粒變短,這表明她們會比那些具有最高維他命D和最低C反應蛋白水平的女性提前衰老7.6 年左右.

“最佳維他命D的狀態再衰老的過程中會起有利作用.” 研究人員總結道,需要附加的試驗去證明這一點.

健康專家還提醒道過度暴露于陽光下會有得皮膚癌的危險,而且飲酒過多也會對身體有不同程度的傷害.