Is Wine Good for You?

Wine, particularly the red variety, has been shown to have certain health advantages.  Moderate wine consumption has been documented as benefiting the cardiovascular system by raising HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol.


The latest news regarding the benefits of wine has to do with phytochemicals it contains such as flavonoids, resveratrol, both of which are antioxidants that help prevent free radical cell damage and saponin.


It has been shown that flavonoids help protect the body from certain cancers (in animal studies).


 Resveratrol, is thought to:

• Keep the body young and strong.
• Prevent Blood clotting and plaque formation in arteries
• Reduce plasma viscostiy.
• Improve cardiovascular health and lower coronary heart disease risk.
• Reduced Tumor incidence ( in animal studies).
• Prevent the development of fat cells (in mice). (Clifton Baile, University of Georgia)

Saponin, one of the other substances found in wine, apparently binds to LDL (bad cholesterol) and assists in removing it from the body.


It is suggested that those individuals who drink one to two glasses per day (a moderate amount) have a reduced risk of suffering coronary artery disease.


Researchers in Canada found one drink of red wine or other alcohol allows the heart to work less by causing the blood vessels to dilate.  The second drink however, caused an increase in heart rate and blood flow without the dilation which led the researchers to warn against repeated excessive consumption as it may lead to a greater risk of heart attacks.


Other Negative side effects of wine (and alcohol) are:

• Trigger for migrane headaches.
• Weight Gain in certain instances.
• Increase in estrogen levels that can cause tumor progression in estrogen positive breast cancer
• Elevate blood triglyceride levels. 

The benefits appear to be numerous for those individuals who practice consumption in moderation.

References:

• Joy Bauer, Today. com
• David Zinczenko, Matt Goulding, Choose Your Best Beverage, Men's Health ABS Training Guide Copyright  Rodale Inc., 2011
• Steve Blechman and Tomas Fahey, EdD, Supplement Rx Info-Bits, Fitness Rx,  June 2011