(MNT) -  Past research has suggested that red wine and blueberries may reduce inflammation, prevent heart disease and even some types of cancer. The reason behind such benefits? A compound called resveratrol. And now, researchers from The Scripps Research Institute in Florida say they have discovered one way in which resveratrol has these beneficial effects on health.

The research team, led by Kendall Nettles, found that resveratrol blocks interleukin 6 (IL-6). This is a protein in the immune system that can trigger inflammation.

High levels of IL-6 have been associated with poor breast cancer patient survival, although exercise has been known to reduce IL-6 levels. Earlier this year, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting that yoga may reduce inflammation by 20% in breast cancer survivors by reducing levels of IL-6.

In this latest study, published in the journal eLife, the team discovered that resveratrol blocks IL-6 by working with the body's estrogen receptor.

Estrogen can increase the growth of breast cancer tumors through receptors that reside on the surface of cancer cells.

But the researchers found that when resveratrol blocks IL-6, estrogenic cell proliferation - the reproduction of cancer-causing cells - is not activated. According to the team, this means that using resveratrol to target the estrogen receptor could lead to the development of new drugs.