A glass of red wine worth an hour of exercise

According to a research, a glass of red wine could provide one with the same benefits an hour's exercise would give.

Resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red grapes, improves muscle and heart functions in the same way as an hour of exercise would, Canadian researchers noted.

"I think resveratrol could help patient populations who want to exercise but are physically incapable. Resveratrol could mimic exercise for them or improve the benefits of the modest amount of exercise that they can do," said lead study author Jason Dyck from the University of Alberta in Canada.

In lab experiments, Dyck and his team found that high doses of resveratrol improved physical performance, heart function and muscle strength in animal models.

"We could conceivably create an improved exercise performance in a pill," Dyck was quoted as saying in a Science Daily report.

Previous research show that this antioxidant also helps to reduce the chance of developing cataracts, improves memory and even cuts down cancer risk.