The Health Advantages of Drinking Wine

One of the questions asked most frequently by my patients is whether wine is good for them. There is much controversy surrounding this subject lately and this is why. While research supports the benefits of drinking wine, particularly red, it also points out that heavy drinking will conversely be detrimental.

So when I am asked that question I explain that wine can be good for you in moderation and as part of an overall healthy diet. In other words the amount of wine you drink matters tremendously. If you drink more than what's recommended, your health benefits are lost and your health risks go up.

Wine

Here's what's considered safe and effective:

The Health Advantages of Drinking Wine

Men: No more than two drinks per day. Women: No more than one drink per day. One drink is defined as a 5-ounce glass of red or white wine. And no you cannot save up the one or two drinks per day and have them all on the weekend!

Why all the curiosity about wine's health benefits in the first place? The intrigue started in the 90's when baffled researchers launched a study of French people, trying to determine why they were not suffering from more heart attacks with diets so high in cheese fats.

The findings showed that it was due to their moderate and steady intake of wine. Long after this discovery, a bevy of research continued to support drinking wine for good health. The first studies show great health benefits from the healing powers of resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red grape skins and therefore in red wine. But now they're also finding just as many benefits from white wines.

All kinds of new findings are cropping up on a daily basis. Take a look at some of the most recent studies that boast the health advantages of wine:

Overall Health Benefits:

Anti-aging effects in red grape skins (Harvard Medical School in Boston, 2004) Reduced risk of death from nearly all causes: According to studies from France, UK, Finland and Denmark, moderate consumption of wine is more beneficial than that of beer or spirits. Kidney stones: Red wine intake reduces the risk of kidney stone formation. Cancer cells killed by protein in red grape skins (University of Virginia Health System, 2004)

Heart Health Benefits:

Scientists believe the red wine reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing production of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and boosting high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Coronary heart disease reduced (University of California, Davis, 1995) Arteries kept clean by polyphenols in red grape skins (William Harvey Research Institute, 2002) Atherosclerosis: Red wine may prevent the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis (hardening or "furring" of the arteries). Both the alcohol and polyphenols in the red wine appear to favorably maintain healthy blood vessels by promoting the formation of nitric oxide (NO), the key chemical relaxing factor that plays an important role in the regulation of vascular tone.

Women's Health Benefits:

Decreased ovarian cancer risk (The Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia, 2004) Stronger bones (Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, St. Thomas' Hospital in London, 2004) Lower risk of stroke (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001)

Men's Health Benefits:

Lower risk of heart attack for men with high blood pressure (Worcester Medical Center in Massachusetts, 2004) Hypertension: There is some evidence of favorable effects of red wine on blood pressure. Two glasses of red wine (250 ml); taken together with the meal, lower post-meal blood pressure in hypertensive perrsons.

It's great to discover that something you enjoy could actually be healthy. However, I do not recommend that my patients over indulge just because the news is good. A word of caution worth repeating; overdoing anything is a recipe for disaster and can lead to even bigger health issues". That said, go ahead and enjoy your glass of wine tonight knowing that it is a healthy choice of beverage!

Mark Rosenberg, M.D. Institute For Healthy Aging

The Health Advantages of Drinking Wine

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Best Wine Selection For Heart Health

Questions about wine selection for heart health arise because of research relating moderate consumption to a reduced risk of coronary artery disease. When it comes to heart health, wine may be a good choice, but excess consumption can lead to multiple health problems. For this reason, scientists have attempted to identify what you might call "the effective ingredient" in red wine. Is there a way to get the health benefits associated with wine, without the health risks? The answer is "yes".

Scientists believe that the health benefits of wine are related to a substance called "resveratrol". Over the past five years, resveratrol has been the subject of thousands of laboratory studies. It is found in grapes, mulberries, peanuts and other plants.

Wine

First identified in 1963 by scientists evaluating the effectiveness of an Asian Folk medicine called ko-jo-kon, resveratrol was later found in grapevines and finally, in 1992, in red wine. Suggestions for the best wine selection for heart health are determined by the known resveratrol content. Reds contain more than whites. In terms of heart health, wine made from Pinot Noir grapes are believed to be the very best, because they have the highest content of resveratrol.

It is interesting to note that grape juice does not contain resveratrol. Researchers are unable to fully explain this, since it is found in fresh grapes. It could have something to do with the fermentation process or the types or parts of the grapes used. The bottom line is that for heart health, wine is more beneficial than grape juice.

The benefit of resveratrol to the plant is known. It acts like an antibiotic, protecting the plant from disease, fungal and viral infections. The benefits to humans are still being studied. There have been positive reports in the Oxford Journal of Medicine and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. These reports indicate that there may be many benefits.

The main reason that a red wine selection for hearth health is recommended may be due to the anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol. Researchers have linked chronic inflammation to both heart disease and cancer.

Resveratrol is also an antioxidant, which helps the body remove free radicals and other disease causing products from the blood stream. In laboratory studies, it has been shown to actually prevent cells from mutating into pre-cancerous forms. So, it's not just for heart health, wine consumed in moderation may prevent some forms of cancer.

Multiple studies have linked resveratrol to a reduced risk of coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. When physicians recommend moderate consumption for heart health, wine selection for heart health or resveratrol supplements, they recommend a four ounce glass of wine per day or a supplement that contains an equal amount of resveratrol.

In most red wines each ounce contains about 160mcg per ounce. While no upper limit for resveratrol consumption has been established, 640mcg is acceptable for daily human consumption. This is the amount found in 4 ounces of red wine.

If you are concerned about wine selection for heart health, there are some good health supplements on the market, which contain resveratrol and other vitamins, herbs and minerals that promote heart health. Wine consumption is only one way to get resveratrol. It is also present in relatively large amounts in peanuts, but it is important to watch your total dietary intake of fat and peanuts are very high in fat. To learn more about how to protect yourself from heart disease, please visit Heart Health Diet Tips.com.

Best Wine Selection For Heart Health

Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for over twenty years before becoming a freelance writer. Currently she is writing a series of articles about heart health. Read more at http://heart-health-diet-tips.com