One of the questions asked most frequently
by my patients is whether wine is good for them. There is much controversy
surrounding this subject lately and this is why. While research supports the
benefits of drinking wine, particularly red, it also points out that heavy
drinking will conversely be detrimental.
So when I am asked that question I explain
that wine can be good for you in moderation and as part of an overall healthy
diet. In other words the amount of wine you drink matters tremendously. If you
drink more than what's recommended, your health benefits are lost and your
health risks go up.
Here's what's considered safe and
effective:
Men: No more than two drinks per day.
Women: No more than one drink per day. One drink is defined as a 5-ounce glass
of red or white wine. And no you cannot save up the one or two drinks per day
and have them all on the weekend!
Why all the curiosity about wine's health
benefits in the first place? The intrigue started in the 90's when baffled
researchers launched a study of French people, trying to determine why they
were not suffering from more heart attacks with diets so high in cheese fats.
The findings showed that it was due to
their moderate and steady intake of wine. Long after this discovery, a bevy of
research continued to support drinking wine for good health. The first studies
show great health benefits from the healing powers of resveratrol, an
antioxidant found in red grape skins and therefore in red wine. But now they're
also finding just as many benefits from white wines.
All kinds of new findings are cropping up
on a daily basis. Take a look at some of the most recent studies that boast the
health advantages of wine:
Overall Health Benefits:
Anti-aging effects in red grape skins
(Harvard Medical School in Boston, 2004) Reduced risk of death from nearly all
causes: According to studies from France, UK, Finland and Denmark, moderate
consumption of wine is more beneficial than that of beer or spirits. Kidney stones:
Red wine intake reduces the risk of kidney stone formation. Cancer cells killed
by protein in red grape skins (University of Virginia Health System, 2004)
Heart Health Benefits:
Scientists believe the red wine reduces
the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing production of low density
lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and boosting high density lipoprotein (HDL)
cholesterol. Coronary heart disease reduced (University of California, Davis,
1995) Arteries kept clean by polyphenols in red grape skins (William Harvey
Research Institute, 2002) Atherosclerosis: Red wine may prevent the initiation
and progression of atherosclerosis (hardening or "furring" of the
arteries). Both the alcohol and polyphenols in the red wine appear to favorably
maintain healthy blood vessels by promoting the formation of nitric oxide (NO),
the key chemical relaxing factor that plays an important role in the regulation
of vascular tone.
Women's Health Benefits:
Decreased ovarian cancer risk (The
Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia, 2004) Stronger bones
(Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, St. Thomas' Hospital in London,
2004) Lower risk of stroke (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001)
Men's Health Benefits:
Lower risk of heart attack for men with
high blood pressure (Worcester Medical Center in Massachusetts, 2004)
Hypertension: There is some evidence of favorable effects of red wine on blood
pressure. Two glasses of red wine (250 ml); taken together with the meal, lower
post-meal blood pressure in hypertensive perrsons.
It's great to discover that something you
enjoy could actually be healthy. However, I do not recommend that my patients
over indulge just because the news is good. A word of caution worth repeating;
overdoing anything is a recipe for disaster and can lead to even bigger health
issues". That said, go ahead and enjoy your glass of wine tonight knowing
that it is a healthy choice of beverage!
Mark Rosenberg, M.D. Institute For Healthy
Aging
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mark_Rosenberg,_M.D./101276
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