Health Benefits of Wine
Health Benefits of Wine. The medical profession has recognized healthful and nutritive properties in wine for thousands of years. Recent archeological evidence shows wine was in use as a pharmaceutical as early as 3,150 B.C.1 Hippocrates recommended specific wines to purge fever, disinfect and dress wounds, as diuretics, or for nutritional supplements, around 450 B.C. A French doctor wrote the earliest known printed book about wine in 1410 A.D.
Tipping back a glass of red wine can do much more than help you relax after a long day. There’s scientific evidence that, in limited quantities (defined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as up to one 5-ounce glass for women and up to two 5-ounce glasses for men), red wine can also have surprising health benefits.
Proven & Surprising Health Benefits of Wine:
1# Protect Your Heart:
Resveratrol is one of the most powerful antioxidant compounds which can help reduce the saturated fat accumulated in the arteries. Red wine also contains flavonoids and saponins which protect you against cardiovascular diseases. But this does not mean you go on a drinking spree. Red wine, when drunk in moderation, works best and also raises your HDL cholesterol, which in simple terms is ‘good cholesterol’.
2# Long Life
Researchers at Harvard Medical School uncovered evidence that resveratrol directly activates a protein that promotes health and longevity in animal models. Resveratrol increases the activity of sirtuins (longevity pathways), a group of genes that protects the body from diseases of aging.
3# Boost Your Mood:
We all know that a good glass of dry wine can be relaxing and alleviate some stress. But it may have more noteworthy effects. One large study found that wine consumption in the range of two to seven drinks a week was significantly associated with lower rates of depression, while heavy drinkers seem to be at higher risk.
4# Lowers Cholesterol:
High-fiber varietals, like Tempranillo and Rioja, may lower cholesterol levels. Healthy study participants given a grape supplement found in red wine saw a 9 percent drop in LDL (the “bad cholesterol” that can clog arteries). Those with established high cholesterol given the same supplement experienced a 12 percent drop in LDL.
5# Improves Memory:
Resveratrol also may help improve short-term memory. After just 30 minutes of testing, researchers found that participants taking resveratrol supplements had a significant increase in retention of words and showed faster performance in the hippocampus (the portion of the brain associated with the formation of new memories, learning, and emotions).
6# Prevents Tooth Decay:
For a perfect set of pearly whites, you should drink red wine. It hardens your enamel which in turn prevents tooth decay and the growth of bacteria. Polyphenols, something which is found in red wine, can reduce gum inflammation and prevent gum diseases.
7# Regulate Blood Sugar Levels:
Red wine is abundant in polyphenols. The polyphenols in wine interact with cells involved in the development and storage of fat and the regulation of blood sugar. The amount of polyphenols in a small glass of red wine appears to rival the blood sugar regulating activity of certain diabetes drugs.
8# Prevents Cancer:
Consumption of red wine in moderation can greatly lower the risk of breast cancer in women. Red wine also contains guercetin which prevents lung cancer. Besides this, resveratrol in addition to preventing heart disease can also prevent the growth of cancerous cells.
9# Improves Sleep
Is that presentation at work giving you a sleepless night? Then ditch milk and drink up some red wine. Red wine contains melatonin which can help you sleep peacefully. Remember, you should drink it just once in a while. If you are facing sleeplessness regularly, you must consult a doctor.
10# To Breathe Easy:
Don’t you just hate it when you are down with cold and you can’t breathe easy because of a blocked nose? Well, if you drank red wine regularly, you wouldn’t have to face this problem. A report in American Journal of Epidemiology claims that those who drank red wine had forty four percent fewer colds than those who did not.
11# It Can Help You Slim Down:
Wine is usually viewed as “forbidden fruit” on a weight-loss or maintenance program. However, research at Purdue University — published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry — does not agree. It found that the compound piceatannol, which is converted from resveratrol, could help control obesity. It blocks insulin’s ability to activate genes that carry out further stages of fat cell formation.
12# It Can Prevent the Common Cold:
A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that the antioxidants in red wine may also prevent the common cold. Researchers investigated the alcohol-drinking habits of 4,272 faculty and staff of five Spanish universities. Consumption of wine — especially red wine — was associated with a low risk of contracting the common cold.
13# Promotes Longevity:
Researchers at Harvard Medical School confirmed that resveratrol, a compound found in the skin of red grapes, may provide anti-aging benefits by stimulating the production of a protein that protects the body from diseases caused by aging. A 2007 study in the Journals of Gerontology supports the anti-aging claims: Over a 29-year period Finnish wine drinkers had a 34 percent lower mortality rate than beer or spirit drinkers.
