Wine and Your Health

During the 1990s, a physician voiced on a national TV show that drinking red wine reduces heart disease. It made all the headlines. He cited the relatively lower levels of the disease in France despite their ever so famously high fat diets. Since that program, it seems that red wine health effects have been on the forefront of the wine consumer´s mind.

Good for the Heart

Coronary artery disease is caused by a build up of cholesterol in the arteries that supply the blood to the heart. If the arteries get partially blocked the heart cannot get enough oxygen and the result is pain. Does red wine protect against heart disease?

Many studies suggested that moderate amount of red wine (one to two glasses a day) lowers the risk of heart attack for middle aged people by 30 to 50 percent. It was also concluded that red wine may prevent additional heart attacks if you have already suffered from one.

The cholesterol that blocks these arteries is called low density lipo-protein or referred to as the bad cholesterol. This is cleared from the blood by high density lipo-proteins or the good cholesterol. Moderate wine consumption produces a better balance of these two. Additionally, wine has an anti-coagulation effect which makes the blood less likely to clot.

Red Wines

Chemical and food experts have known for years that wine contains rich deposits of vitamins, minerals, and natural sugars that are often beneficial to good health. Wine is also rich in potassium and low in sodium. Red wines have more of these elements due to the juices longer contact with the grape skins. Red wines are also rich in Vitamin B which comes from the grape skins as well.

Wine and Digestion

Wine aids in the production and flow of gastric juices. This facilitates digestion by breaking down the food in the stomach quickly and effectively. For many, after the age of 50 our bodies do not produce enough hydrochloric acid that are needed for digestion. So many doctors, including my own, have suggested a glass or two of wine with a meal. Who am I to complain?

Wine also has a tranquil effect on the body and helps people who have trouble sleeping. And it does not stop there as it may help lower the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer´s disease.

Wine and Calories

As of now, there is no such thing as a diet wine. Unfortunately, there is no getting away from the fact that wine contains calories and calories make you fat if you do not burn them up. A glass of white or red wine contains around 100 calories. Sweeter wines that contain residual sugar as well as alcohol have more calories.

Final Thoughts

When you put everything together you may decide that a little bit of wine does you some good. Wine certainly has its place in a healthy lifestyle. That is my conclusion, and I am sticking with it!

Contributor: Stuart Glasure [A wine enthusiast and publishing member of the wine source: http://www.WineDefinitions.com.]

---

The Mystery of Decanting

Decanting is a strange word to many people. Some do... Read More

Guide To Tasting Wine

The basics of tasting wine are relatively simple to learn.... Read More

Beer and The Commodities Market

Most branded products and agricultural products are not commodities. However... Read More

How To Open Champagne

I manage a highly regarded web community for corporate flight... Read More

Wine Tasting -- The Traditional Way

Wine tasting is properly known as 'Wine Degustation'. It is... Read More

The Cocktail Party

A cocktail party can be more daunting than a dinner... Read More

Sauvignon Blanc Wine

Sauvignon Blanc wine is crisp, high in acidity and light-... Read More

Red Wine Compound May Extend Life

Good news! A recent study suggested that resveratrol, a red... Read More

Wine Etiquette With Ease

Correct wine etiquette makes the tasting experience much more enjoyable.... Read More

Wine Tasting

Wine Tasting Component I: LookThe first step you have to... Read More

Australian Wines

Australia's wine industry has boomed in the past ten years.... Read More

Choosing a Wine Gift Basket

During the holiday season, most of us are in a... Read More

How Sparkling Wine is Made

There are three methods that may be used to make... Read More

Tasting Wine

Wine Tasting Component I: LookThe first step you have to... Read More

Barbera Wine

Barbera is a wine grape variety from Monferrato in Piemonte,... Read More

Australia Is More Than Jacobs Creek

The Jacobs Creek Brand of wines have taken the world... Read More

The Origin of the Cocktail

The cocktail has the distinction of being an original American... Read More

Burgundy Wine

Burgundy red wines are produced in an area of France... Read More

Rare Varietals Cure Wine Boredom

The future of the Australian wine industry will be shaped... Read More

The Stuff of Poetry ? Mead

People have been drinking fermented beverages since the dawn of... Read More

The Ten Most Important Wine Label Terms

For the average wine consumer, there is a plethora of... Read More

Explore the U.S. Wine Trails

Follow a Local Wine Trail to Discover the Secrets of... Read More

Carignane Wine

The Carignane grape variety is one of the most widely... Read More

Pairing Food and Wine is a Matter of Taste

First off let me say that I am in no... Read More

Using Cooking Wine

Cooking wine is sort of a holdover from prohibition. People... Read More

An Introduction to Wine

What is wine?Wine has been made for centuries from just... Read More

France Car Hire

Here is a quick summary of the different French wine... Read More

Overcoming Red Wine Spills

Red wine spills can be a disaster whether they occur... Read More

DWI and Blood Alcohol Concentration: What does it mean?

Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the relationship between the amount... Read More

Chablis Wine

Chablis is thought to have originated in northern Spain and... Read More

Cabernet Sauvignon Wine

Cabernet Sauvignon is the grape responsible for the wines of... Read More

Ideal Wine Temperature

The ideal temperature to store wines is between 55ºF and... Read More

Who Made the First Wine Anyway?

Although details are understandably sketchy, it is believed that, around... Read More