Seven Health Benefits of Drinking Wine

Do you love your wine like we do? Do you love discovering new kinds of wine? Do you, like us, seek out wineries during your travels? Then you are definitely ‘into’ wine. But is wine really good for you? We’ve all heard there are health benefits to drinking wine, but are they true? In this article, we will discover the seven benefits of drinking wine and answer the question, “Is wine good for you?”.

Health Benefit of Wine #1: Heart Health

It has long been thought that wine in moderation can be healthy for your heart. Red wine, in particular, has been thought to be heart healthy because it is loaded with antioxidants, in particular a polyphenol called resveratrol. Resveratrol can help protect the heart cells from tissue damage after a stroke, inhibit platelet buildup, and decrease triglyceride and cholesterol accumulation.

There has been lots of evidence that prove resveratrol in red wine has the following heart health benefits:

• Raises HDL (healthy) cholesterol
• Reduces the formation of blood clots
• Because of red wines’ ability to decrease triglyceride and ‘bad’ cholesterol, it helps prevent artery damage caused by high levels of LDL (harmful) cholesterol, fats and plaque buildup in the artery walls.
• May improve the function of the layer of cells that line your blood vessels (endothelium)

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Resveratrol might be a key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) and prevents blood clots. Some research shows that resveratrol could be linked to a lower risk of inflammation and blood clotting, which can lead to heart disease.”

Another component of red wine is a flavonoid called quercetin. Quercetin has also been proven to promote heart health by regulating blood pressure levels, reducing inflammation and preventing oxidative stress.

And here’s another reason to celebrate being over 50. Older adults gain more benefit than our younger adult counterparts according to Dr. Giovanni de Gaetano at IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed. Yay!

Health Benefit of Wine #2: It Helps Fight Free Radicals

No, I’m not talking about guerrilla warfare, although on a cellular level, that’s sort of what happens. The accumulation of free radicals plays a major role in the development of chronic and degenerative diseases, like cancer and arthritis. The antioxidants in red wine help counteract oxidative stress caused by these free radicals. Red wines’ antioxidants prevent and repair damage caused by this oxidation. So fight those nasty free radical guerrillas with a glass of red!

Health Benefit of Wine #3: It Raises Omega-3 fatty acids.

It can raise levels of Omega-3 fatty acids: An alcoholic drink, and especially red wine, appears to boost levels of omega-3 fatty acids in plasma and red blood cells. These fatty acids are believed to protect against heart disease.

Researchers found that, in 1,604 adult participants, regular, moderate wine drinking was linked to higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids, usually derived from fish, help protect against coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death, so high levels in the blood is definitely good for our health.

Health Benefit of Wine #4: Improves Blood Vessel Health

Drinking red wine can help improve blood vessel health. In 2006, scientists from the UK found that procyanidins, compounds commonly found in red wine, help keep the blood vessels healthy. Because the traditional production method of producing red wine, that is, leaving the skins on the juice while it ferments, appears to be most effective way to extract these procyanidins. This leads to higher levels of the compound in red wine. Thus, drinking red wine aids in blood vessel health.

Health Benefit of Wine #5: It May Prevent Vision Loss

Although more research is needed, drinking red wine could help in preventing vision loss: Resveratrol in red wine may also help with out-of-control blood vessel growth in the eye, according to findings published in 2010. This overgrowth of blood vessels has been shown to contribute to age-related macular degeneration. And for us over 50’s, continuing to have good vision is a great reason to have some red wine, in moderation.

Health Benefit of Wine # 6: It Can Help Manage Diabetes

I’ve often heard people with diabetes say they cannot drink wine. However, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have found that red wine, not white, may help to prevent spikes in blood sugar levels that type 2 diabetes patients often experience. The components in red wine may slow the passage of glucose through the small intestine and eventually into the bloodstream, thus helping to reduce those sugar spikes.

Another study released in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that initiating moderate wine intake, especially red wine, among well-controlled diabetics as part of a healthy diet is apparently safe and modestly decreases cardiometabolic risk.

Red vs White?

White wine does not seem to have the same benefits as red wine. According to the study, the “testing showed that red wine contains roughly ten times more polyphenolics than white wine. Laboratory results suggest that these compounds may play a role in slowing the passage of carbohydrates into the bloodstream.”

This research suggests that because of the benefits of red wine, it can safely be incorporated into a patient’s diet plan, when consumed in moderation. However, always check with your personal physician before running out for that bottle of red.

Health Benefit of Wine #7: It Can Reduce the Risk of Depression

A study done in 2013 of 5,500 men and women aged from 55 to 80 years over a 7-year period concluded that those who drank between two and seven glasses of wine each week were less likely to receive a diagnosis of depression, even after taking lifestyle factors into consideration. Again, moderation is the key as heavy drinkers seem to be at higher risk for depression.

A Possible Benefit?: Does drinking wine cause or prevent cancer?

There are conflicting studies about cancer and wine drinking. There was a study from the UK in 2015 that seemed to find that consuming low doses of resveratrol, the compound found in red wine, can reduce the size of bowel tumors by approximately 50 percent.

However, other experts state that drinking alcohol is strongly linked to different types of cancer, and that any benefit from resveratrol is likely to be outweighed by the negative effects of the alcohol. Hummmm…the debate on alcohol and cancer continues.

But then there is women and breast cancer. It has been suggested in an article released in the Journal of Women’s Health that chemicals, called aromatase inhibitors (AI) that appear in the skins and seeds of red grapes, and red wine, can reduce estrogen levels and increase testosterone in women approaching menopause.

However, the AI activity in red wine has been attributed to the phytochemicals and not to the alcohol content. Much more research is needed to clearly determine a link between red wine and breast cancer, but it’s great that they are moving in that direction.

Drinking Wine is Healthy, So Let’s Grab a Bottle!

Welllllll, hold on a minute. Yes, there are definitely benefits to drinking wine. But, all of the studies that suggest or prove these health benefits clearly and emphatically state that it is moderate drinking that has the benefits. It does not mean that we can go out and drink all we want and still receive benefits. Too much is still too much. And the negative consequences of heavy drinking still apply.

Drinking too much alcohol increases your risk of:

• Liver and pancreas diseases
• Heart failure
• High blood pressure
• Certain types of cancer
• Stroke
• Accidents, violence and suicide
• Weight gain and obesity

It also doesn’t mean that if you are a non-drinker, you should go out and start drinking wine for ‘health reasons’. Neither the American Heart Association nor the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends that you start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease. Alcohol can be addictive and can cause or worsen other health problems.

So what is light or moderate drinking?

According to a description by the Mayo Clinic:

• Up to one drink a day for women of all ages.
• Up to one drink a day for men older than age 65.
• Up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger. The limit for men is higher because men generally weigh more and have more of an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol than women do.

A drink is defined as:

• 12 ounces (355 milliliters, or mL) of beer
• 5 ounces (148 mL) of wine
• 1.5 ounces (44 mL) of 80-proof distilled spirits

So how was the list? There were some terrific health benefits to drinking red wine. Although, for my white wine drinkers, unfortunately, the benefits are not there like red wine. That doesn’t mean you can only drink red, but to receive the aforementioned benefits, you might want to include a nice glass of Cab for your next dinner instead of the Chardonnay.

From better heart health, improved blood vessels and more omega-3 fatty acids absorption to managing diabetes and reducing depression, there are certainly good benefits to drinking wine. So let’s raise a glass to our favorite beverage, whether Cab, Zin or Merlot. It’s all good.

Cheers to you!

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. Or just let me know what your favorite red wine is. I’d love to hear about it. Cheers to all! Kathleen

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