Health Benefits of Red Wine
The health benefits of red wine have been making headlines but is it all
it's cracked up to be? Medical studies have shown that moderate consumption of red wine
can reduce the risk of heart disease. On the other hand, over consumption of alcohol has
been proven to have adverse effects on your health. So what should you do?
That probably depends on your own personal habits and preference. If you have 1 drinka day
and are hell bent on continuing to do so, perhaps making sure that drink is red wine will be more
beneficial to your health. If you don't drink at all, starting now hardly seems worth it.
The benefits of red wine come from a chemical found in the kind of the grape as well as the tannins
and flavenoids (anti oxidants) which kill free radicals that are thought to contribute to cancer.
Substances found in red wine raise the levels of HDL (good cholesterol) while lowering the levels of
LDL (bad cholesterol) thus lowering the risk of heart disease.
One of the latest potential health benefits of red wine has to do with a component called resveratrol
which is a polyphenol. In an experiment done at Marshall University, it was found to kill skin cancer cells.
This experiment introduced the wine directly to the cells and it is het to be determined if drinking the wine
would have any effect.
Why Red Wine?
The health benefits of red wine have everything to do with the fermented skins of the grapes.
Red wine is made with the skins on, white wine without the skins, thus the health benefits are only
present in red wine. How much should you drink? Drinking in moderation means 1 glass for women and
2 glasses for men per day.
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