Red wines from Sardinia and the south-west of France are reportedly better than any others when it comes to protecting your health.

While scientists have suggested for many years that red wine is good for the heart, a new study claims to have found evidence that it is the presence of polyphenols called procyanidins that brings about this mysterious health benefit.

These chemicals, according to the study published in the Nature journal, are found much more commonly in wines from certain areas than in bottles from anywhere else in the world.

The scientists found that procyanidins offer considerable protection to cells in blood vessels and it was on the basis of this discovery that they set out to find out how this related to the consumption of specific red wines.

Wines from the Sardinian province of Nuoro and the Gers region in south-west France were found to possess levels of procyanidins that were between two and four times as high as comparable wines from Spain, South America, the US and Australia.

The key, it seems, lies in the methods used to produce the wine. Professor Roger Corder, from the William Harvey Research Institute at the University of London, said: "The traditional production methods used in Sardinia and south-western France ensure that the beneficial compounds, procyanidins, are efficiently extracted.

"This may explain the strong association between consumption of traditional tannic wines with overall wellbeing, reflected in greater longevity."

While further research is still needed to ascertain exactly how procyanidins are able to aid longevity, the scientists believe they are close to understanding this phenomenon. They argue that procyanidins are able to suppress the production of the endothelin-1 protein which is known to constrict blood vessels.

Sadly, cheap plonk tends to boast a very limited quantity of procyanidin, meaning that those searching for longevity may have to splash out a little if they are to enjoy the benefits of this latest discovery.

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