Stay Fit. Stay Classy. Stay True.: Health Benefits of Red Wine

Health Benefits of Red Wine

Current research suggests that a glass of red wine each day may be providing you with more than just a little relaxation. Lets take a look at some of the positives and negatives of red wine!

The positive side of wine:

Sleep: New research shows that red wine, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, and Merlot, contains melatonin. Melatonin regulates the body clock, so drinking a glass of red wine before bed may help you sleep. Melatonin is also an anti-oxidant, which means it also has anti-aging and cancer preventative properties.

Longevity: A compound in red wine called resveratrol has been shown to increase lifespan in animal studies.

Brain Health: Resveratrol has been shown to protect against Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Researchers found that resveratrol, a red wine polyphenol, produces neuroprotective effects.

Heart Health: Red wine has been shown to reduce the risk of heart and cardiovascular disease thanks to the resveratrol and other anti-oxidants it contains. Scientists believe the red wine reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing production of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and boosting high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.

Lung Cancer: Researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain found that each glass of red wine per day reduced the risk of lung cancer by 13%. Acute smoking significantly impairs vessels' natural ability to relax, or vasodilate. Red wine, with or without alcohol, decreases the harmful effect of smoking on the endothelium - layer of cells that provide a friction-reducing lining in lymph vessels, blood vessels, and the heart.

Prostate Cancer Four or more glasses of red wine per week has been shown to reduce men's overall risk of prostate cancer by 50% and the risk of the most aggressive forms of prostate cancer by 60%.

Breast Cancer: Moderate consumption of red wine is believed to lower the risk of breast cancer. However, drinking more than 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks per day appears to increase the risk of breast cancer in women, so moderation is key.

Colds: Researchers in Spain found that people who drank more than two glasses of red wine per day have 44% fewer colds than people who abstained.

Inflammation: Resveratrol has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, which helps overall physical health since many diseases and ailments can be attributed to inflammation.

Cholesterol: Resveratrol has been found in studies to lower LDL cholesterol, while another ingredient in red wine, saponins, also have cholesterol lowering properties.

Blood clots: Red wine produces anticlotting, or antithrombotic, action. Light to moderate consumers of wine have lower levels of protein fibrinogen which promotes blood clot formation.

Kidney stones: Red wine intake reduces the risk of kidney stone formation.

Atherosclerosis: Red wine may prevent the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Atherosclerosis starts when blood vessels begin to lose their ability to relax. Both the alcohol and polyphenols in the red wine appear to favorably maintain healthy blood vessels by promoting the formation of nitric oxide (NO), the key chemical relaxing factor that plays an important role in the regulation of vascular tone.

The negative side of wine:

Wine, however, is not for everyone. Certain medical conditions are worsened by the consumption of wine, so it’s vital you seek the advice of your personal physician.

Here’s a few things to know:

High Triglycerides: One downside to wine consumption is that it can elevate triglyceride levels, which is associated with health problems such as diabetes. Those who already have high triglycerides should, therefore, avoid or dramatically limit their wine (and alcohol) consumption.

Migraines: Wine is often a big trigger for people who suffer with migraine headaches. Although white wine contains more sulfites than red wine (sulfites are added to white wine to preserve its light color), red wine seems to be a much bigger migraine trigger. That’s probably due to the accumulation of histamines and tannins from prolonged contact with the skin.

Weight Gain: People who drink alcohol also consume empty calories, calories that lack nutrients and can lead to weight gain. Five ounces white or red wine = approximately 120 calories. Drink a bottle of wine (4 glasses), and you’ll be consuming about 480 calories (that’s the equivalent of two 20-ounce Cokes!).