French paradox

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Champagne and cheese, supposedly unhealthy French specialties

The French paradox is the term for the observation that the French live longer than z. B. Germans or Americans. The frequency of heart attacks in France is a third as high as in the USA. It is controversial among medical professionals whether this paradox even exists.

Discovery story

This phenomenon was observed as early as 1819 by the Irish doctor Samuel Black. The term French paradox was coined in 1992 by Serge Renaud, a researcher at the University of Bordeaux .

Explanatory approaches

Various explanatory approaches, some of which focus on components of French cuisine , have been discussed.

red wine

France is one of the most renowned growing regions of wine around the world, both in terms of quality and quantity. Wine has been grown and pressed in what is now the French Republic since 400 BC. In percentage terms, alcohol consumption in France was three times that of the United States in 1951.

alcohol

From the French paradox the realization was drawn that drinking red wine, in spite of the alcohol , which is poisonous for the human organism , must obviously be healthy. This effect arises from the fact that moderate amounts of alcohol can be broken down by the liver without damage, but on the other hand the likelihood of certain cardiovascular diseases decreases due to the vasodilating effect of alcohol .

However, comparative studies have shown that any other moderate consumption of alcohol also has comparable effects. Finally, as the amount of alcohol increases, the toxic effect of the alcohol increases.

Resveratrol

Clinical studies on resveratrol, a component in grapes and wine made from it, demonstrated that it can have a beneficial effect on the course of certain autoimmune diseases , heart diseases, arteriosclerosis , Alzheimer's disease and arthritis .

Resveratrol may also work directly against cancer cells .

Oligomeric proanthocyanidins

In addition, oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC) as a component of red wine are held responsible for the French paradox in red wine.

Polyphenols

According to recent research, the high polyphenol content in a few red wines has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. Of all the grape varieties, the Tannat variety delivers the highest levels of polyphenols, which have been shown to prevent cardiovascular diseases, when traditionally processed, i.e. with longer fermentation with skins and seeds (three to four weeks). According to an article published in the scientific journal Nature in 2006, Tannat is considered a particularly healthy red wine. Because of the high natural content, combined with a more thorough extraction, this wine, which grows in southwest France and Sardinia, contains a good four times as many polyphenols as other red wines tested. Procyanidins , vasoactive polyphenols, have been identified as the main active ingredient .

Other ingredients of French cuisine

Other ingredients frequently used in French cuisine were also identified as both problematic and potentially health-promoting within the framework of the French paradox:

Dairy products

The bechamel sauce , popular in France, contains butter , just like the béarnaise sauce and the Dutch sauce . Strong cheeses like Camembert , Livarot and Pont-l'Évêque are also popular with the French.

In 2009, 7.90 kilograms of butter and 26.10 kilograms of cheese were consumed per capita per year in France. Components of these high-fat products are seen as potentially problematic, on the one hand, because saturated fatty acids can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, on the other hand, they are blamed by some researchers for the low incidence of cardiovascular diseases among the French.

Menaquinone

In 2004, data from the so-called Rotterdam study were published, which linked an adequate supply of menaquinone (vitamin K 2 ) with a reduction in atherosclerosis and lower mortality . It has therefore been suggested that a sufficient proportion of foods rich in menaquinone may be of importance in preventing cardiovascular complications.

Hard cheese, soft cheese and butter are relatively rich sources of vitamin K 2 .

Prenatal and Early Childhood Nutritional Situation in the 19th Century

David JP Barker cites France as an example of a culture that values ​​good prenatal and postnatal care and thus prevents chronic diseases, whereby the French paradox would stem from a long-term commitment to excellent pregnancy care.

For more than a century, the French have institutionalized a sophisticated system of prenatal care for pregnant women to ensure the optimal development of their fetuses . This was due, among other things, to the widespread malnutrition in Europe in the 19th century, which was viewed by the French government as a problem as it feared for its national strength. Therefore, legal measures have been taken - including the routine feeding of school children and regular weighing of pregnant women and newborn affected by midwives , to improve the nutrition of babies, children and expectant mothers -.

In 1871, after the defeat in the Franco-Prussian War , the French government finally made it its institutional obligation to increase the number of soldiers through increased attention to the health of future mothers and the proper nutrition of infants.

Doubts about the existence of the paradox

It is controversial among medical professionals whether the French paradox even exists.

In a study by the WHO, for example, the incidence of heart disease in France has been statistically incorrectly recorded. French doctors apparently did not clearly record heart disease on their death certificates, so the numbers were presented -20% lower than they actually were.

Correcting the number of heart disease cases upwards by 20% shows a similar picture for France as for all other countries: higher consumption of saturated fats and cholesterol leads to more heart disease.

literature

  • R. Corder, W. Mullen, NQ Khan, SC Marks, EG Wood, MJ Carrier, A. Crozier: Oenology: Red wine procyanidins and vascular health. In: Nature. 444, November 30, 2006, p. 566.
  • Roger Corder: The Wine Diet. Sphere, 2006, ISBN 1-84744-003-7 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Average life expectancy - OECD Health Data ( memento of the original from November 23, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.gbe-bund.de
  2. ^ French paradox resolved. In: The world. 1995.
  3. ^ Jean Ferrières: The French paradox: Lessons for other countries.
  4. ↑ Arthur L. Klatsky: Alcohol and Cardiovascular Health.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.bioone.org  
  5. ↑ Fair Wine Countries - France
  6. ↑ The French have been making wine for around 2500 years. In: Der Tagesspiegel. 4th June 2013.
  7. ^ Mendès-France fights alcoholism. In: The time. December 1954.
  8. ↑ K. Ono, MM Condron, L. Ho, u. a .: Effects of grape seed-derived polyphenol on amyloid beta-protein self-assembly and cytotoxicity. In: Journal of Biological Chemistry . 283, 2008, pp. 32176-32187.
  9. ^ R Corder, Mullen W, Khan NQ, Marks SC, Wood EG, Carrier MJ, Crozier A: Red wine procyanidins and vascular health . In: Nature . 444, 2006, p. 566. PMID 17136085 .
  10. ↑ Swiss milk producers (ed.): Swiss dairy industry in figures . Bern 2011.
  11. ↑ German Society for Nutrition e. V .: Eat and drink whole foods according to the 10 rules of the DGE.
  12. ↑ Dietary Intake of Menaquinone Is Associated with a Reduced Risk of Coronary Heart Disease: The Rotterdam Study. on: jn.nutrition.org
  13. ↑ GC Gast, NM de Roos, I. Sluijs, ML Bots, JW Beulens, JM Geleijnse, JC Witteman, DE Grobbee, PH Peeters, YT van der Schouw: A high menaquinone intake reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease. In: Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases: NMCD. Volume 19, Number 7, September 2009, pp. 504-510, ISSN  1590-3729 , doi: 10.1016 / j.numecd.2008.10.004 . PMID 19179058 .
  14. ↑ Stephen S. Hall: Size Matters: How Height Affects the Health, Happiness, and Success of Boys ... p. 43.
  15. ^ Grazyna Jasienska: The Fragile Wisdom: An Evolutionary View on Women's Biology and Health. P. 93.
  16. ↑ Trevathan Wenda: Ancient Bodies, Modern Lives: How Evolution Has Shaped Women's Health. 2010, p. 85.
  17. ^ Health - French health mystery. on: BBC News. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  18. ↑ Interior Designs Can ailments such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure be linked to poor conditions in the womb? David Barker thinks so - and he's not alone. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  19. ↑ Stephen S. Hall: Size Matters: How Height Affects the Health, Happiness, and Success of Boys ... p. 43.
  20. ^ Drink Like the French, Die Like the French. ( Memento from July 21, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  21. ^ What About the French Paradox? Retrieved February 11, 2020 (American English).