Raise a glass to your health
For decades, researchers have been perplexed by the French. Their diets are high in cheese fats but they weren’t keeling over with heart attacks. Instead, they were actually healthier than their counterparts in the Americas who tried to eat low fat meals and watch their diet in general.
After years of study, it became apparent that wine in moderation (emphasis on the word moderation) can actually improve your health by reducing the risk of heart disease and certain cancers and slowing the onset of neurological orders such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
The health benefits of wine appear to be connected to the presence of resveratrol, which helps prevent the build up of plaque in arteries by altering lipid profiles and the viscosity of plasma. In recent animal studies, resveratrol appears to also reduce the incidence of tumors by affecting some of the cancer development stages.
Various studies have also identified connections between red grape skins and anti-aging, a reduction in ulcer causing bacteria, and healthier blood vessels in the elderly. White wine, on the other hand has contributed to improved lung function because of the antioxidants.
There are gender specific benefits as well. Moderate consumption of wine has been shown to decrease the risk of ovarian cancer in women while helping them lower their risk of stroke and improve the strength of bones.
For men, a Worcester Medical Center study in 2004 showed that men with high blood pressure could lower the risk of heart attack through moderate wine consumption.
This may account for the lower mortality rate in the wine drinking population. According to a Finnish study spanning a 29-year period, wine drinkers had a mortality rate that was 34% lower than those men who drank beer, spirits or no alcohol at all.
The potential health benefits of wine are hard to ignore. While the results of some of these studies are still being verified through further research, it’s hard to argue with the French and Italians who have known the health benefits of wine for generations.
So, what is moderation? First, knocking down an entire bottle of wine may have some benefits, but it also can lead to alcohol abuse, addiction, liver failure and a host of other risks.
Most experts agree that one drink is defined as a 5-ounce glass of wine (almost 148 milliliters). Men should have no more than two drinks a day. Women, no more than one. You can’t save them up and use them all at once, either. Drinking a bottle or two on the weekend won’t lead to better health. It needs to be a daily regimen to have the desired effect.
Red wines are more effective than white wines, by the way. They typically have more resveratrol in them than white wines, because of the extended contact the wine has with the grape skins. Some wine manufacturers are even changing their processing techniques to increase the levels of resveratrol in their products.
If you haven’t been a wine drinker before, you may want to consult a doctor before enjoying a soothing glass of red wine. The health benefits of wine can be offset by complications or side effects from certain prescription drugs and even some over-the-counter medications. You don’t want to create additional problems by mixing the two.