Wine and Your Health

We all know about the dangers of consuming alcohol, yet at the same time we hear that wine is supposed to be good for you. Is there truth in that? How does wine affect our health?

The heart

You’ve probably heard that a glass of red wine a day is good for the heart, or something like that. You may even have heard that drinking wine helps you live longer. These rumours are mostly true, but only with regular and moderate consumption.

Compounds known as flavinoids have been shown to prevent the arteries from hardening. Further studies confirm that moderate consumption of wine also prevents the blood clotting that causes heart attacks and strokes. Red wine also helps control cholesterol.

Cancer

There are also whispers about wine helping to prevent cancer. Compounds known as polyphenols are present in the skins and seeds of the grapes. Polyphenols are the plant’s own defence mechanism and helps it fight disease. The polyphenols account for wine’s anti-oxidant properties.

Red wines contain a higher concentration of polyphenols because the red grape skins stay in contact with the juice for longer. In the human body, polyphenols fight off the free radicals that cause cell damage, and it is this cell damage that leads to the development of cancer.

Weight gain

The debate around wine and its effect on weight has been raging for years now. Many diets instruct people to cut wine out because it’s stuffed with calories and calories cause fat. The fact is that dry wine contains almost no calories. Sweeter wine, because of its high sugar content, may contain slightly more. Wine contains no carbohydrates, no fat and no protein.

Overindulgence is where the confusion comes in. People gain weight when they drink excessively in a short space of time. They won’t gain weight if they control their drinking habits and apply the principle of moderation. Simple as that.

While this is all great news for wine lovers, wine is only good for you if it is consumed in moderation. Gulping down three of four bottles a day will have the opposite effect, but select your three or four bottles from BoutiqueWineries.com.au.