Fights Build-Up
Red wine contains flavonoids, which may lower cholesterol, notes LDLHeartDisease.com. Flavonoids have antioxidant properties that inhibit oxidation of LDL, the "bad" cholesterol that builds up and clogs the arteries. Oxidation, which impairs the performance of cells when too many oxygen molecules are present, allows the cholesterol to turn sticky and form plaque in the walls of the arteries. The build-up narrows the arteries, leading to heart disease and heart attack.
One theory on the antioxidant function of flavonoids suggests that the body recognizes them as foreign particles and works to eliminate them, eliminating damaging free radicals in the process and preventing oxidation of LDL.
Resveratrol is another substance found in red wine that is believed to block cholesterol oxidation.
Fermenting Process
Flavonoids and resveratrol were long thought to be substances in wine that may fight heart disease. But saponins became the latest chemicals to join the group in a major study conducted at the University of California, Davis, and reported to the American Chemical Society in 2003. The glucose-based chemicals are believed to come from the waxy skin of grapes and are dissolved into the wine during the fermenting process. Wine's saponins have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol by a few percentage points when the wine is consumed regularly. Red wine appears to be more beneficial at reducing cholesterol than white wine. They are believed to bind to and prevent the absorption of cholesterol, according to the researchers at UC Davis. Red wine contains significantly higher saponin levels than white wine, according to the researchers.
Raising "Good" Cholesterol
A study by Israeli researchers, reported in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism in September 1994, found that red wine raised HDL, or "good," cholesterol levels by 26 percent among men. There was no change in HDL levels among men drinking white wine. HDL cholesterol is believed to help flush away the bad cholesterol by passing it to the liver, where it is eliminated. This prevents LDL from building up in the arteries.
Despite the positive effects of the research on moderate drinking of wine and other alcoholic beverages, more research is needed, says the American Heart Association. It points that other factors may be involved in fighting heart disease, which may include diets low in saturated fat.
