University Researchers Want To Pay You To Drink Wine

If you enjoy sipping on a glass of red after a long day at work, we’ve got some brilliant news for you.

Researchers from Northumbria University are looking for participants to drink wine for two new studies - and they’ll pay you for the privilege.

The first study will pay participants £30, while those taking part in the second trial will receive £65 for their time.

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Both studies will be looking at the effects of a compound found in grapes and red wine, called resveratrol, which may boost mental functions.

Northumbria University’s Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Centre is looking for healthy male and female participants aged between either 18-35 or 50-70 years to take part.

The first study, which is aimed at participants aged 50-70, is looking at how resveratrol can increase blood flow.

The study has already been carried out with younger adults who, in some cases, showed improved performance when their mental function was tested.

The researchers now want to work with an older age group to assess the effects of resveratrol on their brain blood flow and mental performance.

To take part in the study, participants must be healthy, non-smokers who are free from chronic health conditions and do not take other supplements.

They will receive £30 for taking part in the study, in which they would be required to attend three sessions at the University’s city campus in the heart of Newcastle.

The second study is investigating if this same red grape extract can boost mental functioning at altitude in younger adults.

Using Northumbria’s state-of-the-art environmental chamber, which can simulate the physical effects of a range of temperatures and altitudes, the researchers will assess how participants perform mentally demanding tasks.

They will then test to see if any resulting impairments can be overcome by consuming resveratrol, aka hitting the red wine.

Participants for this study must be aged between 18-35 and also be non-smokers who are free from chronic health conditions and do not take other supplements, including vitamins. Those selected for this study will receive £65 for their time.

PhD student, Timothy Eschle, who is leading on these studies, explained: “There are a number of benefits to consuming red grapes. A specific extract from the skin of red grapes, resveratrol, has been found to increase blood flow to the brain and in some cases, increase mental performance on cognitive tasks.

“Most studies have been carried out in young adults at the peak of their cognitive abilities, thus the benefits of resveratrol are expected to be more prominent in older adults who may suffer a slight natural decline in certain aspects of mental function such as memory and reaction time.

“We also want to establish whether resveratrol can affect mental function at altitude, which often impacts on people’s performance.”

If you want to sign up - and let’s be honest, why wouldn’t you? - you can express your interest by emailing tim.eschle@northumbria.ac.uk or calling 0191 204 8818.

7 Reasons You Should Drink More Wine

It Can Boost Self Esteem(01 of07)

A new study from the Universities of Helsinki and Tampere in Finland found that moderate wine drinking can have a positive affect on our confidence.

The study of more than 2,500 people aged 18-69 found those who had a glass of wine or two with dinner were the most likely to have good mental health and rate their self esteem as "high". (credit:Christopher Malcolm via Getty Images)

It Can Give You A Healthy Heart(02 of07)

Resveratrol, an antioxidant found in grapes and red wine, has long been associated with cutting the risk of heart disease.

A 2015 study published in the journal Nature found that resveratrol may protect the body against age-related diseases, including heart disease, by prompting an evolutionary defence mechanism which guards human cells against genetic damage.

Study author Matthew Sajish commented: "Based on these results, it is conceivable that moderate consumption of a couple of glasses of red wine would give a person enough resveratrol to evoke a protective effect via this pathway." (credit:Neyya via Getty Images)

It Has Similar Benefits To Exercise(03 of07)

Research conducted by the University of Alberta suggested that a drinking a glass of red wine is the equivalent of spending an hour exercising in the gym.

The researchers found that resveratrol in red wine improved an individual's physical performance, heart function and muscle strength in the same way that they improved after a gym session.

"I think resveratrol could help patient populations who want to exercise but are physically incapable," lead researcher Jason Dyck said.

"Resveratrol could mimic exercise for them or improve the benefits of the modest amount of exercise that they can do." (credit:Thomas Barwick via Getty Images)

It Can Help You Lose Weight(04 of07)

A study from Washington State University found that resveratrol found in berries, grapes and other fruits in wine could aid weight loss.

According to the researchers, resveratrol has the ability to convert excess white fat into brown or beige fat, which is easier to burn off. (credit:Julia Davila-Lampe via Getty Images)

It Can Make You More Attractive(05 of07)

Forget everything you thought you knew about beer goggles. A study by the University of Bristol found that drinking one glass of wine can make you look more attractive - even if your date is sober.

The study noted that a small amount of alcohol may cause blood to rush to the cheeks, giving a rosy (and perhaps more attractive) complexion.

However, two glasses of wine was found to make participants less attractive than they were when sober - so moderation is key. (credit:Glow Images, Inc via Getty Images)

It May Help Fight Breast Cancer Risk(06 of07)

A 2011 study found that resveratrol found in red wine blocks the cancer-fuelling effects of the female hormone oestrogen.

Scientists in Italy used several lines of breast cancer cells, including some that were therapy resistant, to test the effects of the compound. They found that exposure to the chemical led to significant reductions in cell growth.

"Resveratrol is a potential pharmacological tool to be exploited when breast cancer becomes resistant to hormonal therapy," said study leader Dr Sebastanio Ando, from the University of Calabria. (credit:Purestock via Getty Images)

It Could Reduce Your Dementia Risk(07 of07)

A study at the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen found that people who drink wine weekly or monthly are two times less likely to develop dementia.

For the study, the researchers identified the drinking patterns for wine, beer and liquor of 1,709 people in Copenhagen in the 1970s and then assessed them for dementia in the 1990s, when they were age 65 or older.

Over the two decades, 83 of the participants developed dementia. Their alcohol intake was compared to that of those who did not develop dementia. (credit:Holger Leue via Getty Images)

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