IS RED WINE GOOD FOR YOU?

by Jill Misterka

You may have heard that red wine is good for your health, and that some doctors have actually advised their patients to drink a glass a day. Is this really true, or is it just wishful thinking?

Scientific studies support this claim. While anecdotal evidence has been around for centuries, doctors started studying red wine’s benefits after identifying the “French paradox”. They noticed that French people eat lots of saturated fat, yet they don’t have higher levels of heart disease and other problems that one would expect from such a diet.

Their conclusion is that red wine is a factor in keeping the French so healthy. Red wine is a complex mixture of chemicals, so it took some research to find out which ones provide health benefits. There are others yet to be studied, but so far a polyphenol compound called resveratrol seems to deserve most of the credit. What can resveratrol do for you?

The potential health benefits

Reputable sources claim that this powerful antioxidant can prevent all kinds of cancer, lower the risk of blood clots, reduce bad LDL cholesterol, reduce age-related diseases, and reduce inflammation. Current studies by UCLA researchers are testing to see if it may help fight Alzheimer's disease. In addition, flavonoid compounds in wine have been shown to increase good HDL cholesterol, reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, and help lower blood pressure.

Is drinking white wine just as beneficial as red wine? No, because the chemical compounds that are good for you are mostly found in the seeds and skin of red grapes. Not only are red grapes used to make red wine, but the process for making red wine involves soaking the crushed grapes in the juice during some of the fermentation. Neither is normally true of white wine.

Can it benefit you?

The recommended amount is one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men. Drinking more than the recommended amount every day is not more beneficial and may lead to other health problems. To get the most benefit from red wine, sip it slowly, as there is some evidence that resveratrol is absorbed through the tissues in your mouth rather than the digestive system.

However, drinking red wine daily is not for everyone, especially those with medical problems or on certain medications. Remember that alcohol contains calories. Ask your doctor before starting a program of drinking red wine daily. If any of these situations prevent you from drinking red wine that often, you can get the same health benefits by drinking red grape juice or eating red grapes every day.

Sources: mayoclinic.com; nih.gov (National Institute of Health); sciencedaily.com; newsweek.com.

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