Goldfinger Releases Book on Wine & Health, Diet & Weight Loss
Dr. Tedd Goldfinger, founding physician of the Renaud Society releases his first book August 25th, 2006; The Wine Lovers Healthy Weight Loss Plan.
A project created by Goldfinger and noted Oregon Chef, Lynn Nicholson, this book professes the health benefits of a sensible diet and moderate daily wine consumption for better health and weight control. It is to be published by McGraw Hill, New York, and is available right now
Serge Renaud, PhD. has contributed the forward to this book
Society Commissions Noted British Artist Ron Dutton to Design the Renaud Society Medal
“Following studies in painting, sculpture, and fine arts at Kings College, University of Durham (1960), I taught at the Sunderland and Wolverhamptom Colleges of Art (UK). For a period of twenty five years, from 1961 through 1985, I had the opportunity shared the enjoyment and enthusiasm of both fellow staff and students and a time for making works primarily in sculpture. In 1974 the medal became a focus of expression that has offered stimulating and challanging opportunities I am grateful to have found. Since 1985, I have been a full time practising medal artist.”
For more information on Mr. Ron Dutton,
please visit www.rondutton.co.uk
The Renaud Society to honor its members at the 4th International Wine & Heart Health Summit in Napa.
The Renaud Medal is to be bestowed on the membership at a gala banquet and charity auction supporting the Desert Heart Foundation Wine & Heart Health Initiative, An Affair of the Heart, held at the Culinary Institute of America, St. Helena, California.
All members are strongly encouraged to attend this event!
The Renaud Society is saddened to report the untimely passing of Tom Shelton,
Past president and CEO, Joesph Phelps Vineyards, Napa, California, and Honorary Co-Chairman of the 4th International Wine & Heart Health Summit, 2007..
Tom was a friend to the Renaud Society, an avid supporter of wine and health initiatives, and a quality individual who made a significant impact in American wine culture. His absence will be missed, and his memory, most cherished.
Tom Shelton, Honorary Co-Chair, 4th International Wine & Heart Health Summit, seen here with Professor Serge Renaud, 2007
Tom Shelton: A Classy Guy
Posted: 12:57 PM ET, July 29, 2008, by James Laube
You think you know things about people, but of course you can only know so much. I knew the severity of Tom Shelton’s health in the past week, since so many of his friends kept me in the loop out of their love and concern for him and his family. But I didn’t know much about his passion for golf (and working as a caddy to earn spending cash in college) or his love of biking. Those tidbits only came out while preparing his obituary, which is always an awkward assignment, no matter who you’re writing about. When Tom died this past weekend it hit many people pretty hard. In my case, we were close in age and had both worked in wine for many years. Tom and I were on the opposite sides of the business. He ran a major winery and I wrote about its wines and in this role the writer usually gets the final word. I came to know him as part of a one-two punch for Joseph Phelps Vineyards. He was the president and CEO and Craig Williams was the winemaker. As part of Tom’s duties he became a spokesman for the Napa Valley Vintners and whatever issues it faced. One challenge he helped spearhead was the NVV’s efforts to protect the Napa Valley appellation and strengthen labeling laws so that when you bought a bottle of Napa wine it came from Napa. He also worked on committees aimed at making it easier for consumers to buy wine direct from wineries. Both of those assignments were perhaps less compelling for Tom. I’m sure he would have rather focused more exclusively on Phelps’ winemaking and to be sure he did, both in building the winery’s quality and reputation and starting the Freestone project. But he took on the other more bureaucratic assignments like a true soldier and commander because they went with the territory. I often marveled at how well, and how patient he was in explaining to writers the intricacies of laws pertaining to both. When it came to wine matters I didn’t have much direct interaction with Tom. Most of the time I talked with Craig. Still I remember one morning a few years ago when I had two calls on my answering machine—both Tom and Craig wanted me to call them. I wasn’t entirely sure what they wanted, but it was unusual to hear from both of them at about the same hour. Winemakers seldom call except to question a review, and of course, that was the case. I first spoke with Tom, who said some customers had called seeking to return their 2001 Backus Cabernet, having read my review. He hadn’t seen the note, but it was in print and he asked what it said. I told him, half expecting him to raise his voice about my calling it “mulchy” and object to the 79-point rating. But he didn’t. He calmly said words to the effect of, “Well, I was afraid that wine wouldn’t go over very well with you.” And that was it. Thanks for returning his call. Next came Craig’s call and he had the same reaction. The wine had been bottled unfiltered and developed a green olive earthiness that was quite different from a typical Backus and much less compelling than the 2001 Insignia, which gushed with fruit purity. I asked Craig if I had missed something, or if the bottles we’d received had been off, and he, like Tom, didn’t dodge the matter. No, the wine had its issues and both he and Tom thought the review was fair even if they didn’t like it and might have rated the wine slightly higher, as in 82 points. The next vintage, both Tom and Craig were happier campers. The 2002 Insignia was chosen as Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year, a big feather in both their hats. When I ran into Tom shortly after that announcement he was the same Tom, cool, calm and collected. But I remember the happy grin and his comment about how he and Craig had “gotten it right this time” and by the way, so had I. I’ll remember him as a classy guy.
A Tribute to Federico Leighton Puga, MD — 8 May 2012
Frederico Leighton Puga, MD, Professor and Director of the Center for Molecular Nutrition and Chronic Diseases of the Catholic University of Chile in Santiago, died on 27 April 2012 at the age of 74 years. Dr. Leighton was a valued member of the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research, and was noted for his seminal work in nutrition, antioxidants, the health aspects of moderate wine consumption, and public health approaches for the prevention of chronic diseases.
Many Forum members knew and had worked with Dr. Leighton through many decades. All feel a deep loss, of a great scientist, a loyal and good friend, and someone very concerned with the health of people everywhere. As stated by one Forum member, “Federico was a great scientist motivated by curiosity and the desire to be useful for his country. His culture and education and intellectual rigor were well integrated into his humanity and the sweetness of his character.” Another commented that Federico was a passionate investigator and a honest advocate for the science of diet, wine, alcohol and health. Said another: “Federico had in abundance that indefinable quality known as ‘class.’” The world has lost an honest and honorable scientist.
Among the notable achievements of Dr. Leighton’ s scientific career were numerous experiments of the effect of moderate wine and alcohol consumption on risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In a key publication in 2005, Dr. Leighton and his colleagues demonstrated a central role of eNOS in the protective effect of wine against metabolic syndrome. His research demonstrated beneficial effects of wine/alcohol intake on lipid factors (HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids ratio); hemostasis (fibrinogen, PAI-I, thrombosis, factor VIIc); endothelial function; blood pressure; inflammation (PCR hs, cytokines and others); oxidative stress (damage to DNA, lipids and proteins, antioxidant levels); insulin sensitivity; and anthropometric parameters (BMI, abdominal circumference).
Further, in an article in 2007, Dr. Leighton stated that the studies carried out by him and his colleagues showed that “Moderate wine consumption improves antioxidant defenses (plasma antioxidant capacity, ascorbate, beta-carotene, and total polyphenols) and counteracts oxidative damage (8-OHdG, nitrotyrosine). Endothelial function improves while blood pressure has shown inconsistent results.”
Dr. Leighton summarized these studies: “From our observations, we consider that wine in moderation, as part of the diet, should decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. The results should take into consideration that there are many cardiovascular risk factors and that their response to moderate wine consumption is not uniform; yet, significant positive changes are observed for a large number of them.”
Dr. Leighton was an international leader in nutritional studies of wine and diet, hosting one of the first Wine and Health symposia, Vinsalud, in Santiago in 2002. With over 100 participants from around the world, the success of this meeting launched a series of such meetings that continues today. He was also successively a former Scientific Secretary and an efficient Vice-President of the Wine, Nutrition and Health Sub-commission of the Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV). He brought forth several contributions in OIV resolutions, notably one recommending that OIV member states support further research in the field of wine and health; such research should serve as the basis for public health and education policies.
In addition to his experiments among subjects evaluating the effects on cardiovascular risk factors of a Mediterranean diet and wine consumption , Dr. Leighton led important public health measures in Chile. One project, Science, Wine and Health, tested the effects on the population of the Mediterranean Diet and of moderate wine consumption. An evaluation after completion of the public campaign revealed that while the total amount of alcohol consumed by the Chilean people changed very little, they were more likely to consume smaller amounts of alcohol on a more frequenet basis, and with meals, than before the program; binge drinking decreased. Thus, his work was instrumental in convincing the public to adopt healthier patterns of alcohol consumption and to avoid its adverse effects.
Dr. Ines Urquiaga, who was his student and colleague, described how his work benefitted his home country: “Since 2000 Dr. Leighton was dedicated to promoting Mediterranean food in the country, researching the effects and benefits, and creating programs that introduced and encouraged this healthy diet — to both white and blue collar laborers. In this way, he sought to improve the health of all Chileans.” Dr. Urquiaga added: “I am grateful to have learned from Dr. Leighton’s enthusiasm for doing good things for others. He was a lover of science and enthusiastic about life.”
* * *
Alberto Bertelli, MD, PhD, Institute of Human Anatomy, University of Milan, Italy.
Dee Blackhurst, PhD, Lipid Laboratory, University of Cape Town Health Sciences Faculty, Cape Town, South Africa.
Giorio Calabrese, MD, Docente di Dietetica e Nutrizione, Umana Università Cattolica del S. Cuore, Piacenza, Italy.
Maria Isabel Covas, DPharm, PhD, Cardiovascular Risk and Nutrition Research Group, Institut Municipal d´Investigació Mèdica, Barcelona, Spain.
Alan Crozier, PhD, Plant Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
Giovanni de Gaetano, MD, PhD, Research Laboratories, Catholic University, Campobasso, Italy.
Luc Djoussé, MD, DSc, Dept. of Medicine, Division of Aging, Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Alun Evans, MD, Centre for Public Health, The Queen’s University of Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Harvey Finkel, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Tedd Goldfinger, DO, FACC, Desert Cardiology of Tucson Heart Center, Dept. of Cardiology, University of Arizona School of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Lynn Gretkowski, MD, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Mountainview, CA, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Dwight Heath, PhD, Dept. of Anthropology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Oliver James, MD, Head of Medicine, University of Newcastle, UK.
Ulrich Keil, MD, PhD, Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Arthur Klatsky, MD, Dept. of Cardiology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Oakland, CA, USA.
Maritha J. Kotze, PhD, Human Genetics, Dept of Pathology, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa.
Dominique Lanzmann-Petithory,MD, PhD, Nutrition/Cardiology, Praticien Hospitalier Hôpital Emile Roux, Paris, France.
Ross McCormick PhD, MSC, MBChB, Associate Dean, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Francesco Orlandi, MD, Dept. of Gastroenterology, Università degli Studi di Ancona, Italy.
Lynda Powell, MEd, PhD, Chair, Dept of Preventive Medicine, Rush University Medical School, Chicago, IL, USA.
Ian Puddey, MD, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia.
Erik Skovenborg, MD, Scandinavian Medical Alcohol Board, Practitioner, Aarhus, Denmark.
Jan Snel, PhD, Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Holland.
Jeremy P E Spencer, Reader in Biochemistry, The University of Reading, UK.
Creina Stockley, MSc, MBA, Clinical Pharmacology, Health and Regulatory Information Manager, Australian Wine Research Institute, Glen Osmond, South Australia, Australia.
Arne Svilaas, MD, PhD, general practice and lipidology, lo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Pierre-Louis Teissedre, PhD, Faculty of Oenology – ISVV, University Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, Bordeaux, France.
Gordon Troup, MSc, DSc, School of Physics, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
Fulvio Ursini, MD, Dept. of Biological Chemistry, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
David Vauzour, PhD, Senior Research Associate, Department of Nutrition, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
David Van Velden, MD, Dept. of Pathology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Andrew L. Waterhouse, PhD, Marvin Sands Professor, Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis; Davis, CA, USA.
Yuqing Zhang, MD, DSc, Epidemiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Co-Directors of International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research:
R. Curtis Ellison, MD, Section of Preventive Medicine & Epidemiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Helena Conibear, Executive Director, AIM-Alcohol in Moderation, Dorset, UK.
A Tribute to Serge Renaud
(1927 – 2012)
It is with sorrow that we have learned of the death in France on 29 October 2012 of Professor Serge Renaud, patriarch of the Renaud Society, at 84 years of age. In addition to being a colleague and close friend of many of us, he was celebrated as a pioneer in scientific research on the prevention of cardiovascular and other diseases. His innovative mind opened up new fields of inquiry that have greatly broadened research into the role of wine, alcohol, fatty acids, and other nutrients in preserving health and preventing disease.
Over many decades, Professor Renaud was the scientist who initiated much of the work relating the consumption of wine and other types of alcohol to cardiovascular disease and other of the diseases associated with ageing. He was the scientist most associated with the role of red wine in protecting the French from coronary artery disease (the “French Paradox”), and a leading figure in studying how other dietary factors relate to health. His innovative concepts have sometimes taken many years to be appreciated by other scientists. He made a major contribution with his research demonstrating how alpha-linolenic acid, monounsaturated fats, and other components of the “Cretan-type Mediterranean Diet,” play key roles in promoting health.
Serge Renaud was born in Cartelègue, Haute Gironde, France, and after starting his medical training in France moved to Montreal, Canada, and later to Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He returned to France in 1973 and became director of the INSERM unit in Lyon, France, where much of his research was carried out.
In an excellent tribute to Renaud in the Lancet in 2000, Bruno Simini points out his major contributions investigating the association between wine, diet, and thrombosis. Simini quotes Serge as saying: “If I hadn’t lived with my grandparents and great-grandparents on a vineyard near Bordeaux, perhaps this idea wouldn’t have occurred to me. When you see people reach the age of 80 or 90 years, who have been drinking small amounts of wine every day, you don’t believe wine in low doses is harmful.”1
In 1991, Serge Renaud appeared on the popular US television program, “60 Minutes,” in a segment entitled the “French Paradox.” When asked by Morley Safer, the host, what was the real reason that the French have rates of coronary artery disease so much lower than those in other developed nations, Renaud replied: “I think it is the alcohol.” And when Morley Safer closed the segment holding a glass of red wine and saying, “The protection of the French from heart disease may rest in this inviting glass,” the response in the US was remarkable – nothing such as this had ever been stated in the country that earlier in the century had made any alcohol consumption illegal through nation-wide prohibition. Following the television program, sales of red wine rose immediately by 40 per cent!
In addition to his studies on wine and alcohol, Professor Renaud, noting the very low rates of heart disease among participants from Crete in the “Seven Countries Study,” initiated the Lyon Diet Heart Study in 1985 to determine the effects of a diet based on that of Crete on the course of disease among patients who already had coronary disease. There were very dramatic reductions in subsequent coronary problems and in total mortality among subjects given the “Cretan-type diet,” which contained increased levels of an omega-3 fatty acid (alpha-linolenic acid) to replace some of the fats from meat and dairy products.
As quoted in the Lancet tribute by Simini, Professor Renaud said the results of these studies on heart disease and cardiac arrhythmias made him “wonder about the origins of civilisations. It is intriguing that ancient Asian and Mediterranean civilisations used natural oils in cooking—colza and olive—with similar fatty acid compositions.” [Colza oil is closely related to the widely used rapeseed oil and canola oil.] And because of his belief in ancient wisdom when it comes to diet and health, Renaud ends his book Le régime santé2 with a warning: “Don’t look for a pill that replaces [the Cretan diet]. There is no such thing.”
People around the world have profited, and will continue to profit, from the lifelong scientific work of Serge Renaud. For those of us who knew and worked with Serge, we all cherish our memories of Serge the person, and of Serge the consummate scientist. The Renaud Society will continue to honor the life contributions of its patriarch, Professor Renaud, with academic and fraternal pursuits that would be very pleasing to him and respectful to his memory.
References
1. Simini B. Serge Renaud: From French Paradox to Cretan miracle. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)71990-5.
2. Renaud S. Le régime santé. Odile Jacob, Paris, 1998.
About the Prince (Rusty Gaffney, MD)
I have a passion for good Pinot Noir – California, Oregon, Burgundy, or wherever it may turn up.I drink good Pinot daily, I read about Pinot daily through all the available sources on wine, and I visit Pinot-producing wine areas of the world regularly. I don’t give numerical scores on Pinot – just some helpful comments. Like good sex, good Pinot is totally sensual and not numerical (was your last romantic encounter a 91 or 92/100?). Finding good Pinot is a daunting task that requires patience, persistence, and money. Often less than 500 cases of a Pinot are available for the world. I hope that this newsletter allows you to score a few choice bottles for your cellar.
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In Memorium:
Bennie Archuleta, MD, Founding Commandeur of the Renaud Society, New Mexico, USA
Bennie S. Archuleta, Jr. passed away January 12, 2008. He was born February 9, 1949 in Las Vegas, NM and grew up in Denver and Las Vegas. Bennie received a Master’s Degree from Highlands University and his medical degree from the University of New Mexico, specializing in cardiology. Bennie performed his internship and residency at Emmanuel Hospital in Portland, OR. He was an associated with Albuquerque Cardiac Associates, Cardiology Associates of New Mexico, Desert Cardiology in Tucson and Arizona Heart Institute in Prescott. His associates remember the excellent, professional care and respect he gave to all his patients and those he treated were always grateful to have Bennie as their doctor. He was currently serving on the Board of Directors for Jet Trucks, was on the Institutional Review Board and was a research investigator for Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation and served on the Khatali Alumni Board, UNM School of Medicine. Bennie retired in 2003 and spent the next 5 years living life to the fullest. He pursued his passions for photography, art, travel, baseball, and family and was happiest spending time at his ranch in Sapello.