What Are The Health Benefits of Wine?

Each day we seem to become more aware of the health benefits of wine. For several years now there has been recognition that drinking wine in moderation is good for your health.

Various studies have shown a clear connection between moderate drinking and better blood pressure, circulation, and a healthier heart.

More resent studies have are exploring a connection between wine drinking and the delay of diminished mental capacities such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. And it now seems that drinking wine in moderation has been linked to health benefits from diminishing your chances of getting a cold to reducing the rates of throat cancer. Wine, it appears, is the new miracle cure, some call it a fountain of youth, or so we would like to believe.

One area where there seems to be serious questions about wine, and the possibility that alcohol may have harmful effects is in studies related to breast cancer. Though some studies indicate that alcohol consumption may increase the rate of breast cancer, other studies are inconclusive. And at least one study shows promise for those who are undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer. This study adds to our knowledge of the health benefits of wine.

In all of the research the key is always “moderate consumption” of wine. So, what is moderate consumption? I suppose the concept of moderation can vary from person to person, but most experts believe that one or two glasses of wine a day constitutes moderate consumption.

So, you may think, “that means that I can have fourteen glasses of wine a week. Hey, I haven’t had any wine this week and it’s Friday already, I think I’ll have my fourteen glasses tonight!” Nah, that is called binge drinking, and it definitely is not good for your health; physical, mental, familial, or any other kind of health that you can think of.

So, Where do the health claims come from?

Almost 20 years ago, 1991 to be exact, the television program 60 Minutes ran a story about, what the program called, the French Paradox. The questions was, how is it possible for French people to have lower cholesterol levels, and lower heart disease rates than Americans when their diet is so much richer in creamy cheese and fatty sauces?

The conclusion that many experts came to was that the French drink a lot more wine; specifically, red wine, than Americans do. At the time this concept was quite intriguing to most people. Now a-days it is a well-accepted idea that wine is good for your health, as long as it is consumed in moderate amounts. Now the questions focus more on the “why”.

No one really knows yet exactly why wine seems to be good for us. Some attribute it to the alcohol levels, others to resveratrol , a substance found in red wine, and to a lesser extent in white wine. Still other experts believe that too much credit is given to resveratrol, and they believe that it is the combination of substances that make up the health benefits of wine. Whatever the case may be, many health experts are doing serious studies on resveratrol, as well as on wine itself and how all the various components work together.

So, while scientists and experts explore the health benefits of wine, and figure out exactly why it is that it seems to be the “fountain of youth”; apparently having a glass of wine before dinner may actually be good for us. Of course, as in everything that deals with health, the best route is to consult with your doctor, as he or she knows your health history better than anyone else, and is in the best position to advise you about this matter. If your physician gives you the go-ahead:

Raise Your Glass And Truly Say “To Your Health!”

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