Is red wine healthy? Pt. 1

My father is a doctor. For years now, he's been drinking a glass of red wine nearly everyday. He's encouraged me to do the same. I have probably taken this encouragement a step too far. He tells me to drink a glass, I go ahead and drink a bottle. All that aside, I've always been curious what the actual health benefit is related to red wine. Part of this curiousity is health related, but to be honest, a large part of it is me trying to justify my budget wine habit.

I did a little web search and found a lot of information about red wine healthy benefits. Unfortunately, most of it was provided by unreliable sources. I was feeling a little frustrated, and then I stumbled upon the Yale-New Haven Hospital website. What source could be more credible than a hospital? I can't think of any.

To help you avoid having to jump around the web, I've filtered and pasted some of their knowledge below. It's a lot to take in, so I've decided to break the research into two separate posts. I'll be posting Pt 2. next Tuesday. Keep your eyes peeled for the conclusion, which will include items such as- what wines provide the most benefit? and how much red wine should you drink?

The health justification for drinking red wine- part 1

"Is red wine the fountain of youth or a potent poison? Is enjoying a glass of red wine with dinner each evening beneficial to your health? Current research suggests that a glass of red wine each day may be providing you with more than just a little relaxation.

What are the health benefits of drinking red wine?
For over 10 years, research has indicated that moderate intake of alcohol improves cardiovascular health. In fact, in 1992 Harvard researchers included moderate alcohol consumption as one of the "eight proven ways to reduce coronary heart disease risk." However, research has suggested that specifically red wine is the most beneficial to your heart health. The cardioprotective effect has been attributed to antioxidants present in the skin and seeds of red grapes.

Scientists believe the antioxidants, called flavonoids, reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in three ways:
-by reducing production of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (also know as the "bad" cholesterol)
-by boosting high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the good cholesterol)
-by reducing blood clotting. Furthermore, consuming a glass of wine along with a meal may favorably influence your lipid profiles following that meal

Recently, researchers have found that moderate red wine consumption may be beneficial to more than just your heart. One study found that the antioxidant resveratrol, which is prevalent in the skin of red grapes, may inhibit tumor development in some cancers. Another study indicated that resveratrol aided in the formation of nerve cells, which experts believe may be helpful in the treatment of neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s."

Special thanks to the Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Comments

[Acai Berry]

interesting post bookmarked

[celebrity]

Yes, the inherent benefits of red wine are well known and medically recognised. But it all depends on how carefully we use. Anything in moderation is good