In an earlier blog, I talked about ill-effects of over-consumption of alcohol. Today, I will be discussing moderate consumption of red wine and its benefit to our body. From my last two blogs, I had discussed earlier that a moderate amount of alcohol actually enhances our health. We also know that daily consumption of a glass or two of alcohol, particularly, red wine is good for us. What we don’t actually know is that it’s not alcohol in the red wine which keeps us healthy. Rather, there are some powerful antioxidants and other substances in the red wine that helps our cells to fight against damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals.

However, one should always keep an eye on his/her drink amount; otherwise you will suffer from liver damage, heart disease, and other health problems.

Red wine: A rich source of Antioxidants
Now we are familiar with the role of antioxidants. They are quite useful and important for our body. These antioxidants keep free radicals from attacking the body’s cells and contribute to beneficial processes inside the body.

Flavonoids and Resveratrol are the two main types of antioxidants that are present in red wine:

•    Flavonoids: These antioxidant compounds are found in plants. In red wine, the main type of flavonoid is anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is a substance which is mainly found in the skin of the grape that produces the deep purple-red color of the wine.

•    Resveratrol: This is a compound that is mainly produced by plants to help them ward off fungal infections and other disease. It belongs to the class of polyphenols antioxidants.
Some red wine has high percentage of antioxidants as compared to others. Cabernet Sauvignon has the highest percentage of antioxidants as compared to Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, and Merlots.

Health benefits of red wine

Let’s come to the beneficial health effects of red wine:

1.  Reduction in heart disease: Flavonoids that are present in red wine are believed to decrease the amount of bad cholesterol or LDL in our bloodstream and increase good cholesterol or HDL. Flavonoids and Resveratrol also prevent platelets from sticking together, hence, prevent stroke by decreasing the risk of clot formation.

2.  Protection against cancer: It is believed that Resveratrol reduces tumor incidence and cancerous cell growth and red wine is a good source of Resveratrol. So, red wine is good against tumor and cancerous cell growth.  However, this theory is yet to be confirmed because till date this is shown in the laboratory only.

3. Other health benefits: Researchers have found that red wine can cut down the inflammation and tissue damage that is caused by periodontal, or gum, disease. So, drinking red wine actually can help our dental health.

Don’t overdo it, but do enjoy a glass of red wine or two, as an effortless way to get health benefits. Stay healthy and live happily!

image courtesy: http://news.thomasnet.com