Recently we were told that unless you had a history of heart disease, a daily regimen of one aspirin per day might not be the be-all end-all preventive measure we thought it was. That wasn’t bad enough. Now a new study shows that the “French Paradox,” the idea that drinking red wine and the anti-oxidants it contains could combat heart disease, cancer and all manner of other conditions may be wrong too.

A study out Monday found that resveratrol — one of the highly touted antioxidants in red wine — did not help people live longer.

Nor did it help people avoid cancer or heart disease, according to the research published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a journal of the American Medical Association.

“This study suggests that dietary resveratrol from Western diets in community-dwelling older adults does not have a substantial influence on inflammation, cardiovascular disease, cancer, or longevity,” said the research, led by Richard Semba of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Research on animals has suggested resveratrol, a polyphenol also found in some Asiatic plant roots as well as peanuts and berries, may wield beneficial health effects.

Next we’ll be told that spitting into the wind, tugging on Superman’s cape, or pulling off the Lone Ranger’s mask are all perfectly beneficial activities.