Basic Pursuits

Health Assist offers up 11 clues to the mystery of the French paradox. The paradox is that the French eat a lot more food containing saturated fat than Americans, but have a lower rate of premature heart disease than Americans. How do they do that?

The article lists red wine with all its antioxidant properties number one. Here's what we know. Antioxidants in red wine are good for you. Too much red wine is bad for you. There might be a connection between the lower incidence of premature heart disease in France and red wine, but no one has ever proved it.

There are some studies that show that moderate intake of alcohol is healthier than no intake of alcohol. But no one has ever proved that drinking red wine an prevent or forestall heart disease.

Over consuming red wine? We don't need any studies to know the consequences of that.

Most of the other 11 clues to the French paradox are not nearly so controversial. There is proof that exercise (walking), eating more fruits and vegetables, eating less (smaller portion size), avoiding sugar (sodas) and avoiding processed foods (quality over quantity in shopping for food, cooking at home) all contribute to better heart health and better overall health.

So if you want the French lower risk of premature heart disease, you need to do a lot more than switch to red wine.

11 Clues to French Paradox

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