FRIDAY Sep 19, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Resveratrol found in red wine, red grapes and some other foods may be used to treat multiple sclerosis, according to a new study reported Thursday at the World Congress on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Montreal.

Resveratrol have been found to help fight a wide spectrum of diseases including breast cancer, colorectal cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, flu and Alzheimer's disease.

The current study conducted by researchers at the University of Utah was meant to examine the effect of resveratrol on MS.

"Multiple sclerosis (abbreviated MS, also known as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminata) is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system (CNS), leading to demyelination. It may cause numerous physical and mental symptoms, and often progresses to physical and cognitive disability," wikipedia states.

For the study, the researchers gave resveratrol to mice with the MS-like condition called Wallerian degeneration slow and found that after first two weeks of treatment, mice gained weight, but no positive effect on nerve cell tissue after five weeks of treatment was observed.

The researchers speculated that weight gain could be a sign that resveratrol helps MS because MS people with loss of neurological function also experience loss of body weight.    But further research is needed to confirm whether the weight gain is a real indicator of some positive effect of this compound on nerve cells.