ARMAGNAC is good for you, according to new medical research. A year ago top Swindon heart consultant Bill McCrea advised his patients to enjoy a glass or two of red wine to aid their recovery.

Now research from France has shown a regular dose of Armagnac can also help stave off illnesses such as heart attacks and thrombosis.

The report from Professor Nicholas Moore, of the University of Bordeaux, confirms a daily moderate consumption of the brandy has a positive effect on the body's defence system.

The research shows the bad effects of free radicals toxic molecules which can damage the brain tissues can be blocked by substances found in Armagnac.

Free radicals are byproducts of normal chemical reactions in the body. They can be blocked by phenolic compounds, which are already known to be found in the pips and skin of grapes.

But it is now known that phenolic compounds of oak are also a source of anti-radical substances.

Armagnac is always aged in oak casks before being bottled and sold.

The Majestic off-licence, in Cricklade Road, Gorse Hill, sells a range of Armagnac. Assistant manager Olivia Iles, 23, said: "It's nice to have an excuse to treat yourself to a bottle.

"We don't sell much Armagnac but maybe that will change when people realise it's good for their health."

While Dr McCrea, who works at Swindon's Great Western Hospital, agrees a tipple is good for you but believes the benefits are greater with younger wine.

He said: "Armagnac, like any alcohol in moderation, is good for you in terms of preventing coronary heart disease and dementia.

"However, it is my information the younger the wine, and thus the shorter period it is stored in wine casks, the greater the anti-oxidant properties of the wine and the more effective it is in preventing coronary disease.

"This seems to contradict Professor Moore's thesis.

"But he does not claim that Armagnac is superior to red wine in its anti-oxidant properties."

aemery@newswilts.co.uk