Red wine: key to your good health

Drinking wine is good for health. Sounds a tad bizarre? Well, it no longer does, if you are willing to get rid of old ideas and believe in modern scientific research.  Let us take a very common example. In Europe there exists the famous ‘French Paradox’.

The French are known to have relatively low levels of cholesterol and fewer heart ailments, in spite of the fact that their cuisine contains rather high levels of saturated fat. Scientific research suggests that ample use of red wine in their dishes keep the French healthy.  Many more researches have thrown up the benefits of wine consumption with special emphasis on red wine.

Isn’t it maddening when you are in the grip of a severe cold and cannot breathe normally due to a blocked nose? Well believe it or not, a glass of red wine could chase your blues away!! A report in American Journal of Epidemiology claims that those who drank red wine had 44% fewer colds than those who did not!

Want to possess a set of perfectly white teeth that would be your friends’ envy?  Try red wine which will harden your enamel and in turn prevent tooth decay and bacterial growth. Polyphenols, a substance found in red wine prevents inflammation and diseases of the gum.

On occasions when you have inadequate sleep, go f0r some red wine. It contains melatonin, which will help you sleep peacefully  Red wine prevents cardio vascular diseases, since it contains Resveratrol- a powerful antioxidant compound- that cuts down saturated fats accumulated in the arteries. Resveratrol can also prevent the growth of cancerous cells.

Other contents like flavonoids and saponins guard you against cardiovascular diseases.  A number of scientific studies found that individuals who drank two to seven glasses of wine per week were less prone to depression, despite the inherent stress and strain in the daily lives.

Did you know that if consumed in moderation, red wine increases HDL or ‘good cholesterol’ in your blood? Antioxidants present in wine slow ageing, reduce wrinkles; strengthen bones besides preventing type 2 diabetes. Also moderate consumption greatly lowers the risk of breast cancer in women and bowel tumors in general.

Quercetin, another chemical substance present in red wine keeps lung cancer at bay. Having said all this, we donot urge the readers go on a drinking spree. “Moderate” wine consumption is always recommended.  What exactly is “moderate” consumption? How much wine you may drink in one go before the benefits turn into health hazards depends on many factors: a  person’s size, age, sex, body structure and general state of health.

A lot also depends on whether wine is being consumed with food or on an empty stomach. We must bear in mind that women absorb alcohol more rapidly than men because of their lower body water content and different levels of stomach enzymes. Hence, moderate wine consumption would have to be lower for women as compared to men. So before you reach out for that glass of crimson liquid, make sure you know when to stop.