The concept that a small glass of red wine a day can prove more beneficial than harmful has taken the world by storm over the last decade.
With its high antioxidant properties, the argument that wine is healthy for consumption has some serious grit behind it.
It has even been argued that wine may have as many as 11 health benefits!
But how exactly does red wine aid in increased health?
We owe the health benefits mainly to resveratrol. Resveratrol is a type of phenol that functions similarly to antioxidants. It is produced as a by-product of fermenting grape skins. White wine does not use grape skins in the fermentation process, so it lacks the powerful properties of resveratrol.
If you’re looking for the added health benefits, you need to pick a red wine, specifically.
Understanding the function of resveratrol involves delving into the mechanistic properties of antioxidants, so what even are antioxidants?
They are exactly what their name implies. Antioxidants aid in the removal of pro-oxidants, a harmful substance that attacks the body through oxidative stress.
Red wine can reduce oxidative damage, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease.
Red wine allows the blood to have an increased capacity for antioxidants. This increase leads to an overall decline of oxidative stress on the body. The final result is a lowered risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Several studies indicate that red wine may even reduce an individual’s risk of cancer.
By potentially blocking the aggregation of the p53 protein, malignant tumors are less likely to form. Over half of all breast cancer diagnoses involve a cluster of this protein.
Wine can help to fight inflammation and blood clotting.
Alcohol acts by thinning the blood, thereby reducing the body’s ability to clot. This can lower one’s chances of suffering from strokes or heart attacks.
Wine may even increase memory and lower the risk of developing dementia.
With a high concentration of resveratrol, wine may lead to stronger memory retention. It is also linked to a potential decrease in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Wine can help with warding off depression.
At a maximum rate of one glass per day, the effects of wine on preventing depression have been steadily recorded. Be careful, after the seventh glass of wine per week, the effects may reverse, increasing one’s overall risk.
Better digestion, maintenance of a healthier weight, and decreased cholesterol levels are a few more of the positive effects wine may have on the body.
If the previous ten reasons were not strong enough to convince you of wine’s positive health impacts, maybe the eleventh will be.
The 11th benefit of wine is that it may contribute to a better night’s rest, and there’s nothing we love more than a solid 8 hours.
If you are someone who enjoys a cocktail after a long day of work or a drink to go along with your bubble bath, the verdict is in:
Red wine is the healthiest choice of alcohol.
Just with most things, the benefits of wine only surface when consumed in moderation.
As wine is still an alcohol, adding a few too many glasses to your nightly routine will prove more harmful than it is good. Professionals recommend having at most one glass per day, a few times a week.
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