Nearly everyday here at the winery I am asked “Does Red Wine really have health benefits?”. Well I have read alot of articles related to wine consumption and health. Here is a little summary of what I have found.
Moderate intake of alcohol provides cardiovascular health according to Harvard researchers. They found in these studies that red wine had the most benefits to your health. The scientists believe that the antioxidants in wine reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in 3 ways.
1. Reducing production of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (also known as the bad cholesterol)
2. Boosting high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (also known as the good cholesterol)
3. Reducing blood clotting
Furthermore, it has been concluded in studies that comsuming a glass of wine along with a meal may favorably influence your lipid profiles following that meal. Amazing news to me !!
Researchers have also found that red wine consumption may be beneficial to more than just your heart. In one study the conclusions indicated that red wine grapes may inhibit tumor development in some cancers. Another indicated that the reservatrol in red wine aided in the formation of nerve cells which could be beneficial in treatment of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s…
The next question that gets asked is “How much red wine should I drink to get the health benefits?”
Well that is a matter of debate. But most of the information that I have read indicated that 1 glass a day for women and 2 glasses a day for men. A serving of wine is usually 6 ounces. But, researchers at U.C.Davis concluded that as little as a 4 ounce serving could be beneficial for women. Of course you should always consult with your physician before consuming any alcohol at all since he or she knows your health history and can better advise you based on your overall health…
Cheers!
