The man behind a number of supposedly scientific studies trumpeting the health benefits of red wine has been accused of fraud.

Newspapers have carried numerous stories in the last few years claiming that regularly drinking Bordeaux, Burgundy and other red wines can help improve a number of aspects of human health, based on the performance of resveratrol, a chemical found in red wines.

Dr Dipak Das, a University of Connecticut researcher, has been accused of falsifying data in his resveratrol studies.

University officials conducted a three-year internal review of his work, finding numerous cases of him fabricating, falsifying or manipulating data to support his theories.

However, despite the allegations against Dr Das, other leading resveratrol researchers insist that the compound does have numerous health benefits.

Dr Nir Barzilai, whose research team conducts resveratrol research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the claims against Dr Das "will not make a material difference" to the field.