Red wine has a reputation for being good for your heart, and a glass of red wine may be a calming tradition after a hard athletic competition. For most healthy adults, a moderate amount of red wine with a healthy meal can help you replace your electrolytes. A nutritionist can work with you to make sure your electrolyte intake is adequate, but consult a doctor if you have prolonged medical condition leading to electrolyte losses.
Fluid and Electrolytes
Proper fluid and electrolyte balance in your body is necessary for maintaining stable blood pressure, according to the Institute of Medicine. The essential electrolytes, which you need to get from your diet, are potassium, sodium and chloride. You may need to replace your fluids and electrolytes after bouts of vomiting or diarrhea -- or after excessive sweating. Wine can help replace some electrolytes, and it also contains sulfites, which provide inorganic sulfur. Sulfur is another electrolyte, but deficiency is rare.
Wine and Sweat Losses
Exposure to severely hot weather and intense exercise, such as long training sessions or hard competitions, are common reasons for heavy sweating and the loss of fluid/electrolytes through sweat, according to the Institute of Medicine. Iowa State University suggests using a fluid and electrolyte replacement beverage with 30 to 50 milligrams of potassium and 50 to 179 milligrams of sodium per 8 ounces. An 8-ounce serving of red wine contains 299 milligrams of potassium, but only 9 milligrams of sodium.
Red Wine and Sulfur
Many brands of red wine contain added preservatives called sulfites, which act as preservatives, according to MayoClinic.com. Symptoms of sensitivities to these food additives are similar to symptoms of food allergies, such as tingling in the mouth, nausea and vomiting, respiratory distress and hives. Although sulfur is an essential nutrient, you can get it from a variety of food sources, including meat, dried fruits, milk and bread, according to the Institute of Medicine.
Considerations
Red wine can help replace some electrolytes, but it can cause intoxication if you have it on an empty stomach or drink it in excess. Fruits, vegetables, dairy products, peas and nuts are good sources of potassium, and you can get sodium and chloride from salted and most processed foods, according to the Institute of Medicine. Red wine may benefit your heart by lowering your bad LDL cholesterol and raising levels of good HDL cholesterol, but too much may lead to high blood pressure and high triglycerides, according to MayoClinic.com. Pregnant women should not drink alcohol, healthy men should not have more than two drinks per day, and healthy women should have no more than one alcoholic drink per day.
References
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes: Electrolytes and Water
- Iowa State University Extension: Eat to Compete: Training Diet
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Beverages
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Red Wine and Resveratrol: Good for Your Heart?
- MayoClinic.com: Food Allergy
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