Are you tired of fruit juices, smoothie recipes and vegetable soups? We all aim to stay healthy, look young and be fit. But you don’t have to fret over maintaining good health. We have some good news for you. You can go to your kitchen, pull a chair for yourself, sit back and sip your favorite wine, because we are going to discuss the great health benefits of red wine. While too much alcohol is hazardous to health, consuming red wine in moderate amounts is very beneficial. In this article, we will discuss moderate wine drinking and understand why it is good for our health.
Drinking wine prolongs longevity. Those who drink wine have a 34% lower mortality rate than those who drink beer and spirits. Red wine is good for a long, healthy life. Also, moderate drinkers of wine are at a 30% less risk of developing type 2 diabetes as compared to non-drinkers.
Wine has forever been known to be heart-healthy. Red wine is rich in powerful antioxidants, namely polyphenols. A little piece of information for you: red wine has more antioxidants in it than grape juice or blueberries. Now isn’t that good news! No more stressing over fruit juices when a glass of wine can provide you an antioxidant fix. They stop the destruction of body cells. Antioxidants help in preventing heart problems and cancer. Moderate consumption of red wine helps reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Full-bodied dark red wines have the highest level of antioxidants.
Procyanidins are another key ingredient that makes red wines so good for the heart. Procyanidins prevent heart diseases. According to a 16-year Harvard School of Public Health study published in 2007, “moderate drinkers suffering from high blood pressure are 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack than nondrinkers.” So drink your favorite red wine and reduce risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases.
What’s more? Red wine also contains Resveratrol, another powerful antioxidant, which is said prevent blood clotting and damage to blood vessels. It also reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, known as the bad cholesterol. In fact, wine promotes the development of HDL cholesterol, or the good cholesterol. Since wine prevents blood clots, it consequentially reduces risk of a blood-clot related stroke. The risk goes down by 50% for moderate drinkers, according to a 2006 Columbia University study. Red wine is also known to slow down brain decline. Non-drinkers have faster decline of brain function than moderate drinkers.
While wine protects the heart against so many problems, people on heart medication are advised to be careful or consult their doctor to avoid any possible interaction between wine and their medication. For instance, patients of heart attack or abnormal heart rhythm who are on heart medication with beta-blockers need to check their drinking limit as alcohol is said to reduce the effect of beta-blockers.
Red wine helps in fighting pathogens. Some studies have concluded that wine helps in getting rid of bacteria that is known to cause peptic ulcers. Hence, red wine consumption is also good for gastric health. Research also shows that red wine helps prevent food poisoning by fighting bugs like E coli, Salmonella and Listeria. When consumed with meals, red wine also aids in digestion. Hence, wine promotes digestive and gastric health.
Additionally, red wine helps you in looking younger by giving you healthy, glowing skin. Sounds like a commercial for an anti-ageing formula? Well, that’s exactly what red wine is. The antioxidants present in wine prevent your skin from premature ageing and maintain a good glow. It fights free radicals and restores collagen and elastic fibers. Wine drinkers are at an advantage as it promotes the formation of new cells and hydrates the skin, and makes it look fresh and soft. It is so beneficial to the skin that people have started to apply it topically as well! Red wine facials have become common and women use red wine to make exfoliators and scrubs to lighten skin pigmentation, clear pores, combat acne problems and fight wrinkles and other signs of aging.
Red wine is also used in face toners, hair masks and for massaging the face. Red wine also gives you stronger teeth and gums. Prevent tooth decay and get a beautiful set of pearly whites by drinking red wine in moderate amounts. It has anti-inflammatory properties. It also has antiseptic properties as it contains natural AHA. Red wine also prevents hair fall. By improving the blood circulation in the scalp area, wine also helps reduce hair problems like itching and dandruff.
Last but not the least, red wine also aids in getting a good sleep. So all you insomniacs, listen up! Bid goodbye to sleepless nights. Drink some red wine with your dinner and get a good night’s sound sleep.
Now that we know that red wine is undoubtedly great for our health, let’s talk about the drinking limits. When we say consuming wine is healthy, we do not mean binge drinking. So how much is too much? Notice how we used the term ‘moderate drinkers’ through out the article? You certainly don’t want to go from the goodness of wine to the bad effects of alcohol. The potential health benefits of red wine are no excuse to indulge in excessive drinking. The key is to consume red wine in moderation. By moderate, we mean a daily dose of no more than 2 glasses for men, and 1 glass a day for women. However, know that wine is not free of calories. In fact, pure alcohol has a lot of calories. A bottle of low-alcohol red wine contains anywhere between 135 to 165 calories. An average high-alcohol red wine contains nearly 165 to 195 calories.
If consumed in moderation, red wine can work wonders for you! Your life expectancy can go up by nearly 4 years if you drink red wine in moderation. Just half a glass of wine a day can keep many diseases at bay. So enjoy some red wine and stay young, stay healthy.
