ST. LOUIS, June 25 (UPI) -- A substance found in red wine and other sources could protect blood vessels in the eyes from being damaged by aging, a new study suggests.
Resveratrol, found in grape skin (and consequently red wine) can directly inhibit the growth of abnormal blood vessels both within and outside the eye, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.
Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis say it could protect blood vessels in the eye from being damaged by old age, the newspaper said.
The substance is believed to work by protecting against abnormal angiogenesis, the formation of damaged or mutated blood vessels, a study in The American Journal of Pathology reported.
This condition is to linked eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration.
Resveratrol is a natural compound found in particularly high levels in grape skin, and therefore in red wine, and at lower levels in blueberries, peanuts, and other plants.
Other studies have shown that resveratrol's blocking of angiogenesis might also decrease the effects of aging and act as an anti-cancer agent, The Daily Telegraph reported.
