Red wine, a feature of the heart-healthy and longevity-promoting Mediterranean Diet, has been the subject of considerable scientific research for its role in reducing cholesterol levels and promoting healthy blood vessels. A complex mixture of phytochemicals and alcohol, red wine, in moderation, has been shown to improve cholesterol levels and reduce cardiovascular disease risk in some people. Talk to your doctor about using red wine to manage your cholesterol.
Antioxidants
Red wine increases high density lipoprotein, HDL, the good form of cholesterol, while alcohol-free red wine causes a slight decrease in HDL cholesterol, according to the book "Cholesterol Cures: Featuring the Breakthrough Menu Plan to Slash Cholesterol," by Rodale Press. One factor in favor of red wine's health benefits is that in the making of red wine,the grape skins, where most of the heart-healthy antioxidant resveratrol is located, stay in contact with the juice for longer amounts of time. Resveratrol and other flavonoid antioxidants offer important benefits that keep the linings of your arteries smooth and prevent clot formation.
Coronary Heart Disease
Red wine and white wine may both be effective at lowering cholesterol, according to William P. Castelli, M.D., editor of "Cholesterol Cures: More Than 325 Natural Ways to Lower Cholesterol and Live Longer." Red wine may have a more complex effect in the body, but some experts cite evidence that white wine lowers levels of low density lipoprotein, LDL, the bad form of cholesterol just as much or more, in some cases, than red wine. Both red wine drinkers and white wine drinkers are found to have lower risk of coronary heart disease.
Quercetin and Tannins
Quercetin, a flavonoid antioxidant, and tannins -- the pigments that give red wine its color -- provide inhibitory effects against LDL cholesterol. Red wine not only lowers LDL levels, it raises HDL levels. Tannins are found in much lower quantities in white and rose wines. And, while alcohol by itself has been found to reduce coronary disease risk, the hazards of drinking more than light to moderate amounts can lead to liver damage and reverse the beneficial effects on heart health. Four drinks per week to two drinks per day constitute a moderate drinking habit.
Red and White Wine
Red and white wines both inhibited cholesterol oxidation, according to a test tube study published in the June 2011 issue of the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry." Both red and white wines produced 100 percent inhibition of oxidation. However, red wines were effective within 24 hours at a concentration of 1:1000 and white wines were effective within 48 hours at a concentration of 1:10. Researchers noted that inhibition of cholesterol oxidation was lower for resveratrol than for catechins -- another category of antioxidants in red wine and surmised that catechins may play a more important role then resveratrol in protecting against cholesterol oxidation.
References
- "Cholesterol Cures (revised): Featuring the Breakthrough Menu Plan to Slash ..."; Editors of Rodale Health Books; 2007
- "Cholesterol Cures: More Than 325 Natural Ways to Lower Cholesterol and Live ... "; William P. Castelli; 2001
- "Low-Cholesterol Cookbook for Dummies: Easyread Large Edition, Volume 2"; Molly Siple;
- "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry"; Red and White Wines Inhibit Cholesterol Oxidation Induced by Free Radicals; L. Tian, et al.; June 2011
Member Comments