If you enjoy a glass of red wine with dinner, you may be able to pat yourself on the back for making a healthy dining choice. Red wine may have a number of health benefits, including lowering cholesterol, reducing blood clotting and possibly fighting cancer. Fortunately, you don't have to drink large quantities of red wine to achieve a positive effect, since drinking too much alcohol has its own risks. Do not start drinking alcohol for the heart benefits without talking to your medical practitioner first.
Amounts
You don't have to drink large amounts to obtain the cholesterol-reducing benefits from red wine. For men, no more than one to two 4-oz. servings and no more than one serving per day for women conveys the benefit while reducing the risk of alcohol-related disease. The limit for men is higher than the limit for women not only because men generally weigh more but because they produce more of an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol, MayoClinic.com explains.
Actions
Red wine contains several substances that may lower cholesterol levels, including flavonoids, which act as antioxidants, and resveratrol, a compound found in the skin of the grapes that increases the longer that grapes ferment. The drier the red wine, the more flavonoids it generally contains. Antioxidants reduce damage caused by free radicals, unpaired electrons that can damage DNA in cells. The ingredients in red wine may lower low-density lipoprotein, the so-called "bad" cholesterol, and may also boost high-density lipoprotein, the "good" cholesterol. The ingredients in red wine may also have protective effects against other heart disease causes; red wine may prevent blood clots that can lead to stroke or heart attack.
Considerations
There's no conclusive proof that red wine has more benefits to reduce the risk of heart disease than white wine or other types of alcohol, MayoClinic.com states. Eating red or purple grapes may also convey the same benefit without the risks of alcohol. Other foods such as peanuts, blueberries and cranberries also contain resveratrol
Caveats
The American Heart Association does not advocate drinking alcohol to prevent heart problems because of the potential for addiction and the risks of high blood pressure, weight gain, stroke, breast cancer, liver disease, pancreatitis and heart disease. People who do not drink should not start drinking just to obtain the benefit of lower cholesterol, since methods such as diet modification, exercise and medications can accomplish the same goal without the risks of alcohol consumption.
References
- Yale-New Haven Hospital; A Glass of Red Wine a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
- MayoClinic.com; Red Wine and Resveratrol: Good for Your Heart? March 2011
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Grape Seed; August 2010
- American Heart Association: Alcohol, Wine and Cardiovascular Disease
- Linus Pauling Institute; Resveratrol; Jane Higdon, Ph.D
Member Comments