The Benefits of Wine for Heart Health

For all you wine lovers out there, we might just make the day better for you with this wonderful information. Red wine, in moderation, is said to be healthy to the heart. Why? Red wine contains antioxidants by increasing levels of high density lipoprotein, a “good” cholesterol that enable fats to be carried into the bloodstream. Antioxidants in red wine alone, called polyphenols, may also help protect the lining of the blood vessels in the heart and one of the main reasons why red wine has gotten attention.

The key ingredient in red wine is resveratrol, which helps aid in reducing cholesterol and preventing blood clots. Resveratrol in red wine comes from the skin of the grapes and contains a higher amount of resveratrol as compared to white wine as it is fermented with the grape skins longer.

Wine is the healthiest way to drink compared to other types of alcohol. In a study conducted from the Israel Institute of Technology, researchers found that red wine enhanced the health of cells in the blood vessels. Healthy adults with a mean age of 29 drank two servings of red wine for three consecutive weeks and provided positive blood samples. The final evaluation claimed  that drinking wine every day helped reduce cell death.

Wine is also said to sharpen the mind. Research showed how alcohol’s ability to sharpen the mind was on the rise in a study from 2004, and a study conducted by academics from the University College of London found that those who drink one glass of wine a week have “significantly sharper thought process than those who do not”.

Red wine may have these great positive effects but doctors also fear that its consumption may have a negative effect on other organs such as the liver and kidneys. It is important to keep in mind that most research on resveratrol has been done on animals. The effect on these animals are positive although some human studies were conducted with human cells on a petri dish. Resveratrol can also be ingested through eating grapes although you may be receiving less depending on your intake.