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Why is red wine good for you?
Wine lovers rejoice! 🍷🎉
Drinking red wine may actually have some health benefits. People have been drinking wine for decades and anecdotal evidence has always suggested that wine is good for you. Residents in some parts of the world, namely the Mediterranean which is a wine-growing area, live longer and have less disease than those that don’t; in fact, the now-famous Mediterranean diet actually includes wine! Recently, scientists have been able to pinpoint what it is about red wine that actually makes it healthy.
Wine is fermented grapes, and grape skins contain tannins, which are the element in wine that dries out your cheeks and tongue. Tannins have large amounts of polyphenols and resveratrol; two compounds that may be good for your heart and reduce your risk for heart disease. Research suggests that consuming red wine is more beneficial than white wine because there are higher levels of these compounds in the red skins of grapes.
What do polyphenols and resveratrol do?
Polyphenols and resveratrol are natural antioxidants. Antioxidants combat free radicals that cause cellular damage; more antioxidants equals fewer free radicals. Oxidative stress caused by free radicals is linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. So you can see why these are important!
Polyphenols can also help reduce inflammation, which often leads to heart disease and even cancer. Reducing inflammation in the body therefore reduces, or prolongs, the onset of heart disease and other significant ailments.
Other Health Benefits of Red Wine
Some other important health benefits of drinking red wine include digestion and mental health. Grapes are very fibrous which may promote better digestive health. Fiber provides fuel for your colon cells and helps to increase the good gut bacteria in your bowels which leads to a healthy digestion system.
Drinking wine may also help with depression and anxiety symptoms. A recent study found that resveratrol (found in grape skins) can actually block PDE4, a stress-related hormone, that causes the main symptoms of depression. Who knew!?
Proper Balance of Wine
Now don’t go rushing to your wine rack just yet, overconsumption of alcohol has many negative effects, as well, so it is important you find a balance when drinking red wine for health benefits. Too much alcohol may increase blood pressure which, over time, can lead to stroke and heart disease. It can also have an adverse effect on depression, and actually, worsen symptoms if you consume too much.
The optimal amount of wine consumption, which aligns with what researchers have gleaned from the Mediterranean diet, is one glass (150ml) a day for women and two glasses (300ml) a day for men. So don’t get too excited, because again, overconsumption of wine will completely erase all of these wonderful health benefits we just explored.
Drink responsibly & Cheers to the New Year!
Article Provided By Anna Maria Kambourakis:
Anna is a Certified Sommelier who is passionate about wine education. With her blog, Unraveling Wine, she seeks to provide useful and practical information about wine in an easy-to-understand way. When she’s not writing or sipping on wine, she enjoys traveling to wine regions and trying out new recipes. You can follow her on social media @unravelingwine.
