Red wine has long been suggested as a major contributing factor to the "French paradox," according to a 2005 "Circulation" report. "French paradox" is a term referring to the relatively low rate of atherosclerosis -- thickened and rigid artery walls -- in the French compared with other Westerners, such as Americans, even though the typical French diet also is high in saturated fat. Some evidence suggests that drinking moderate amounts of red wine can positively affect your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease.
Benefits
Regularly having one to two drinks of alcoholic beverages such as red wine has been shown to increase levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol, by about 12 percent, according to "Circulation." Having extra HDL cholesterol is beneficial because HDL cholesterol can help remove "bad" cholesterol from your blood and lessen the amount of material in your blood that causes fatty plaques on your arteries. Alcohol also might help your heart by preventing blood clots and reducing previous damage caused by "bad" cholesterol, according to MayoClinic.com.
Healthy Factors
Although alcohol in general is thought to help improve your cholesterol, red wine specifically contains substances that might offer extra benefits. One key substance in red wine that might be especially helpful in reducing "bad" cholesterol is a grape compound called resveratrol. Resveratrol also acts like an antioxidant, which means it might help protect your arteries from age-related damage that increases your risk of heart disease. Saponins, which come from grapes' waxy skins, are another component of red wine that might help improve cholesterol levels by binding to cholesterol and preventing your body from absorbing as much of it, according to UC Davis Enology professor Andrew Waterhouse, Ph.D., in a ScienceDaily article.
Considerations
Some of the healthy components in red wine also can be found in grapes and red grape juice, which means that a glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage might not be the only dietary step you can take to reduce your risk of strokes and heart disease. Furthermore, many studies that focus on wine consumption and reduced risk of heart disease might not be accounting for other lifestyle factors, such as increased exercise and a diet rich in vegetables and fruits, according to the American Heart Association. Regular physical activity and a supplement of vitamin B-3 are other ways to raise your HDL cholesterol.
Risks
Having too much alcohol, whether from red wine or something else, can be counterproductive because it can cause high blood pressure and lead to stroke and heart failure, warns the American Heart Association. High levels of alcohol also might increase your level of triglycerides, a type of fat in your blood, and boost your chances of having irregular heartbeats and cancer. Don't start drinking red wine or any other type of alcohol specifically to improve your heart health. Rather, get advice from your doctor if you suspect that you need help lowering your cholesterol. If you already drink, limit your alcohol intake to no more than about one drink a day if you're a woman or two drinks a day if you're a man. One drink of red wine equals a 4 oz. glass.
References
- American Heart Association: Alcoholic Beverages and Cardiovascular Disease
- MayoClinic.com: Red Wine and Resveratrol: Good for Your Heart?
- ScienceDaily: New Cholesterol Fighter Found in Red Wine; 2003
- American Heart Association: Understand Your Risk of Heart Attack
- American Heart Association: Alcohol and Cardiovascular Disease
- "Circulation"; Red Wine and Your Heart; P. Szmitko, et al; 2005
