Red Red Wine

Something that puts a smile on a lot of American’s faces was the discovery that drinking red wine was actually good for you! In 1991 there was a segment on 60 Minutes which talked about the surprisingly low incidence of heart disease in France. The French culture is known for casually drinking red wine on a daily basis. Fortunately for them their preferred beverage is a main cause for their outstanding longevity. After this show was aired the red wine craze began. Americans were buying red wine because it became known as the healthy way to drink.

It almost seems too good to be true, drinking is a way to a happy and healthy life. Many studies have demonstrated that alcohol consumption, in moderation of course, reduces heart attacks, strokes, and overall mortality. People, who consumed one to two servings of red wine, white wine; spirits and beer on average have a thirty to fifty percent reduction on heart attacks than those who didn’t. 

The key to getting these health benefits is to make sure your not exceeding the daily-recommended intake for your gender and body. A general rule of thumb to follow is one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. Once you exceed the one to two drinks per day minimum you lose all the potential health benefits and you start to do more damage than good. The calories and sugars start adding up and override the desired polyphenols and antioxidents.

            Wine contains both “an alcohol based component in the form of ethanol and a plant based component in the form of polyphenols” which have been shown to be beneficial to our health in numerous ways. Red wine contains the health benefits from the alcohol alone but the polyphenol content adds to the benefits. “Red wine, because it is fermented with its skin, has much higher lever of polyphenols than white wine. Together these compounds (reveratrol, flavoniods, proanthocyanidins , and anthocyanins) are thought to possess healing properties by acting like natural antioxidants.” The polyphenol compound that is anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic. According to research, the flavonoids in wine boosts our skin’s sun protection, which could possibly lower the risk of skin cancer. Wine’s relaxing properties also slow down premature aging.

If you are choosing red wine because you want the health benefits in general “the more bitter the better.” For your next dinner date with friends or a loved one chose Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir for a good time and good health.

Other nutrients that can be found in wine:

flouride 40% –The benefit of flouride is from topical use and prevents tooth decay.

Manganese 10% –Antioxidant beneficial to brain, liver and nervous system.

Potassium 5% –Helps keep your heart beating.

Iron 4% –Delivers oxygen to your body.

Vitamin B6 4% –Helps access energy in your the body.

Vitamin B2 3% –aka Riboflavin. Antioxidant that aids in oxygen delivery in the body.

Phosphorus 3% –Bone strength, regulate hormones, aid in digestion.

Choline 2% –Helps in memory and liver function.