Most wine aficionados drink red wine for social occasions and to delight in the taste. What these wine drinkers fail to realize are the great had health benefits included with moderate wine drinking. Red wine is an incredible source of biologically active chemical compounds known as polyphenols. Polyphenols have healthy antioxidant properties as well as other anticancer properties.
Polyphenol compounds are found in the skin of grapes used to make red wine. During the fermentation process of wine-making, the created alcohol dissolves the antioxidant polyphenols contained in the skin and seeds and absorbs them into the wine. Since the process of making white wine includes removing the skin of the grape, white wine is much lower in polyphenols and antioxidants than red wine. These polyphenols found in red wine are shown to have antioxidant properties. These antioxidant properties protect cells from oxidizing damage caused by free radicals. These free radicals are known to damage critical cell components such as the DNA, cell proteins, and cell membranes. Research on red wines and their polyphenols and antioxidants have shown an ability to inhibit the free radicals from damaging these critical cell components.
One of the major polyphenol compounds found in red wine is called Reservatrol. Reservatrol is worn by plants to benefit prevent fungus infestations and disease. As a result of the fermentation process, red wine contains a large amount of Reservatrol. Reservatrol is also found in other grape base products such as raw grapes, raisins, and some other berries and plants. In animal testing, Reservatrol is shown to inhibit tumor growth in many stages of cancer, and prevent the growth of many types of cancer cells. Further testing speculates similar results occur in humans.
Red wine also contains another important polyphenol antioxidant known as Catechin. Catechin is known to lop atherosclerotic plaques which helps lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. Some studies have also shown that in addition to lowering the risk of stroke, the compound helps regulate blood sugar, lowering the risk of diabetes.
Antioxidants found in red wine are thought to have other health benefits. Antioxidants are believed to help listless age-related macular degeneration diseases known as AMD. Red wine is thought to succor balance blood sugar reducing the risk of diabetes and other blood sugar elements. Ongoing studies are in the process of determining if the antioxidants found in red wine have further health benefits.
Many red wine skeptics claim the alcohol found in red wine is more dangerous than the health benefits. In order to maximize the health benefits of wine, red wine must be used in moderation. A glass a day of red wine is thought to be sufficient to provide the majority of benefits. The alcohol contained in one glass of red wine is minor, and miniature to no risk to the drinkers health. Combined with other alcoholic products, a glass of wine could result in secondary risks such as driving while intoxicated, so use moderation both when drinking red wine and combining red wine with other alcoholic drinks.
To achieve the health benefits in red wine does not require spending large sums of money. Red wine prices range from under five dollars to bottles priced at hundreds to thousands of dollars. There are no additional health benefits achieved by spending more on the bottle of wine. Make sure to drink a pure red wine and not a mix of red and white wines or other mixtures designed to lower the price and quality of the red wine. Inexpensive zinfandels, merlots, burgundies and local red wines are available for reasonable prices. Avoid the white zinfandels, as they are more white wine than red, and provide a lesser health back.
Used in moderation, scientific studies have made it clear that drinking red wine is suitable to the drinker's health. Learning to enjoy red wine is an inexpensive hobby, is relaxing, provides critical antioxidants, and is both healthy and luscious.
