A glass of fine red wine provides the classic accompaniment to a dinner at an upscale restaurant or a cozy supper at home with family and friends. But now, emerging research suggests that red wine might have health benefits to make it doubly welcome at the table.

However, the detrimental effects of excessive alcohol consumption are well known, and many people might avoid red wine because of concerns that the health risks associated with alcohol might outweigh red wine’s positive effects. In order to make a decision about whether drinking red wine is likely to contribute to your good health, there are a few basic facts that you should keep in mind.

The Pros And Cons Of Red Wine

Like any alcoholic beverage, red wine will become destructive to your health if consumed in excess. There are two major dangers associated with alcohol consumptions. The first is liver damage over time, which unfortunately is not a risk solely for people who drink in excess.

Individuals, who are on certain forms of prescription medication, or over-the-counter pain relievers, may be at risk for liver damage even if they drink in moderation. When considering whether red wine might be good for your health, be sure to talk to your doctor about any medications you may be taking and whether these will make you vulnerable to liver damage.

The other major risk is the danger associated with driving while intoxicated. Luckily, this danger is easy to avoid if you take some time to plan your evenings. A designated driver takes the risk out of evening get-togethers where a bottle of wine will be shared, and many people live within walking distance of excellent restaurants where a good glass of red wine can be enjoyed.

Taken in moderation, red wine has many benefits that far exceed the risks. For healthy individuals with no predisposition to liver problems, red wine is a source of abundant flavonoids, a type of antioxidant linked to a many indicators of good health.

Flavonoids have been particularly associated with good cardiovascular health and show the potential to lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, as well as having anti-inflammatory properties.

These potential health benefits are the result of a compound called reservatrol, which can be found in the skins and seeds of red grapes. This compound puts red wine in a class of food sources of antioxidants, a group which also includes dark chocolate, green tea and citrus fruits.

When weighing the advantages and disadvantages of red wine, it is important to consider the fact that red wine’s benefits represent small amounts of protective and positive value over time.

Increasing the amount of red wine you drink will not increase the positive health outcomes associated with red wine and in fact would probably undermine any benefit that you might be receiving. While the dangers of liver damage and drunken driving are significant, there is also a slight elevation in the risk of breast cancer associated with alcohol consumption.

For this reason, many health experts advise women to drink no more than one alcoholic beverage per day and men to drink no more than two.

By: Jon Kelly

Champagne a festive wine was actually the first wine which was made 2,000 years ago, was named after a small town in France. Wines from the champagne region were known from the middle-ages. During those periods wines were either red or white. The first commercial sparkling wine was produced in the Limoux area of Languedoc in the year 1535. Sparkling wines usually come from areas where grapes don’t have enough sun to ripe according to other wine standards.

We have all heard about the medical benefits of red and white wine. But recent findings have revealed that champagne has got medical benefits too. When raising a glass of Champagne and toasting ‘Cheers’, the attitude is generally a way of praising one’s health and well being in a figurative way.

According to the JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY published in April 2007 revealed that moderate consumption of Champagne as a source behind brain protection. This sparkling wine according to the recent joint study of University of Reading and University of Cagliari may help protect the brain against injuries incurred during a stroke and other ailments, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. So now when we raise a glass of Champagne and shout ‘Cheers’, we can really mean it.

The reason for the Champagne’s ability to cope with the brain according to the researchers lies in the high presence of polyphenols packed within every bottle. Red wine was declared as the healthiest types of wines to drink, because of the highest concentration of polyphenols. Polyphenols are known antioxidants, which are believed to help avoid cell death due to oxidative stress. Previous research found Champagne to contain high amounts of other types of phenolic compounds, such as tyrosol and caffeic acid.

Scientists carried out tests in order to find out if the polyphenols found in Champagne are similarly beneficial to those in red wines. Measurable levels of polyphenols were extracted from Chardonnay and Pinot noir/ Pinot Meunier and several samples of cortical neuron were prepared cells from mice. After separating mice cells into two groups “one that would be let alone and one that would be penetrated with Champagne extracts” the scientists simulated a stroke on the cells and saw the reaction. The scientists monitored how the brain cells reacted to the presence of the peroxynitrite, which is a reactive compound found in the brain during inflammatory conditions. It was found that the pretreatment with Champagne wine extracts resulted in significant protection against neurotoxicity.

The scientists trust that the Champagne extracts protected neuron cells in numerous ways, noting that in the sample with the highest concentration of sparkling wine, brain-cell function was completely restored over time. They also believed that caffeic acid and tyrosol may help to normalize the cells’ response to injury with their anti-inflammatory attributes. The compounds also act as cellular-level mops, essentially cleaning up and removing hazardous chemicals from the body. The researchers also wrote that there was evidence that dietary polyphenols can cross the “blood-brain barrier” which would suggest that the above molecular behavior has the potential to act in the same way, within the human central nervous system, if consumed.

It is too early to tell if consuming Champagne will have benefits for a long time, because the amount of polyphenols in Champagne varies greatly from “variety, vintage and a wide range of environmental factors”. But scientists are hoping to be able to shed more light on the potential beneficial effects of Champagne on human health and life span, with a specific interest on its influence over aging.

But, as more and more research is performed, Champagne has a chance to turn over a new leaf in medical science in the future. This life preserve task may be one, Champagne takes on a new, but it’s one we hope goes to its and our heads, for the sustainability of humanity. With the associates of the health community raising its rank, Champagne is our new champion. So, as it puts a cork in brain injury, we intend you have a toast to the Dom Perignons, the Veuve Clicquots, and the Louis Roederers of the world. Fill your glass with the sparkling wine and ease your mind, “Cheers”.

By: Devi Nisha

If you read the newspapers, you probably see a lot of stories about the health problems that the country is facing. You see headlines of people suffering from heart attacks, cancer, and other illnesses, but you may not have heard an easy (and delicious) solution to some of these headlines – beer.

Remember, that you should definitely consume all alcoholic beverages in moderation, and if you have any questions about whether this will benefit your health, you should talk to your doctor. Ok, we’ve told you the legal disclaimer, let’s get down to the facts and the research that show that beer, consumed in moderation, can actually help your health.

So how can beer help you to keep you healthy? Well, studies have found that it can actually be good for your heart, just like wine. If you are worried about your heart health, you should obviously exercise and eat right, but drinking two beers a day for men (and one for women), may give some people an extra boost. Remember, the advice is one to two beers a day, so drinking three or four beers a day won’t triple or quadruple these effects of the beer.

What exactly can beer do to help your heart? Well, according to a study done by Tufts University, the consumption of beer in moderate amounts can decrease your cholesterol level, reduce the amount of fibrinogen in your blood (which is a protein that is responsible for blood clotting), and increase the level of antioxidants in your body.

Are all beers created equally? Not really, because although you can get health benefits from all beers, dark beers are actually better for your health than lighter colored beers. Dark beer contains more flavonoids than light beer. Flavonoids come from plants, and are also found in chocolate and red wine. What are the benefits of flavonoids? Flavonoids have been proven to prevent cancer and promote a healthy heart. Sure, you can find flavonoids in other foods, such as fruits and vegetables, but they are also present in high numbers in dark beer.

If heart disease runs in your family, you may want to listen to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, which found in their research that drinking a moderate amount of beer daily can decrease your risk of coronary disease by about 30-40%. This is a great study to show your wife when she complains about you drinking a beer or two every evening. You can just reply with “Sorry honey. I’m doing it for us, not for me.”

No longer do beer drinkers have to switch to wine if they want to get the health benefits of alcohol, because now they can get them from their favorite beverage. Of course, if you want more information about the effects of beer on your health, you should definitely consult your physician. Beer drinking can be dangerous for people who have certain health conditions or who take some medications. If you are already a casual beer drinker, you don’t have to give it up to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

By: William Swan

Everybody knows that alcohol is bad for you. Right? Wrong. Just as money is not the root of all evil (it is the love of money), alcohol is not bad for you. Overindulging in the culprit. All things in moderation is also true of wine. Doctors are leery about suggesting people start drinking alcohol, regardless of the positive effects on health. The fear is that people will take the news as a sort of free pass to drink to excess. Frankly, alcoholics do not need a reason, rationale, or pass. They just need it to be 5:00 somewhere on the planet, and they are off to the races. So for the rest of the population, what makes red wine good for you?

The French Paradox

Why do the French suffer 1/3 less heart attacks than Americans? Their diet is high in fat, like ours. So, what makes the difference. Apparently, it is the resveratrol. In essence, resveratrol is produced by plants when they are under attack, whether by fungi or bacteria. The effect resveratrol has on humans is as an antioxidant. Since 1991, it has been believed that roughly eight ounces of wine is enough to reduce not only the risk of heart attack, but also the amount of cholesterol in the blood. The tannins and flavanoids in wine are components which are believed to be effective in combating cardiovascular disease.

Wine also helps the body absorb several critically important minerals: Phosphorous, magnesium, calcium, and zinc. These minerals are essential to the fight against osteoporosis. How much wine you consume is essential, based on tests. If one consumed more than eight ounces per day, the increase in bone density was actually reversed. Apologies to white wine aficionados, but all this good news is only true of red wine. Switch to white, lose the maximum benefits.

Moderate wine consumption decreases risk of stroke. Further tests have indicated that only wine has this effect, not beer or other spirits. Over 13,000 Danes were tracked for 16 years, and results were indicative of a 16% reduced risk for those who drank monthly, 34% for those who consumed weekly, and 32% for daily imbibers, by comparison with those who abstained completely.

Longevity

Studies from all corners of the globe have reached the same conclusion. Moderate alcohol consumption lowers overall mortality rates. They stress that the consumption must be moderate. Drinking in excess undoes any good that was done by moderate intake. Benefits are most pronounced for those at risk due to a family history of cancer, stroke, or heart disease. For postmenopausal women, wine can cut their risk of diabetes. By changing their diets to include wine, they were able to decrease the levels of insulin in their blood. Insulin levels of the test group were found to be lower by nearly 20% than the teetotalers.

In Conclusion

Wine is good for you. If you strictly adhere to the amounts recommended by the medical community, you will benefit. Just remember to only drink if you do not have to be behind the wheel of a motorized vehicle any time soon.

By: Christine Szalay Kudra

Red wine is very good for health and its keeping health condition. So drinking red wine is good for your heart, lungs, kidneys, brain and more. Because red wine is fermented with grape skins longer than is white wine, red wine contains more resveratrol. Red wine is a particularly rich source of antioxidants flavonoid phenolics, so many studies to uncover a cause for red wine’s effects have focused on its phenolic constituents, particularly resveratrol and the flavonoids. However, the evidence seems clear that regular, moderate consumption of red wine is beneficial to your health.

If your goal is a healthy, fit body, a red-wine habit is not the worst vice in the world. Recent research has indicated a substance called resveratrol, which is found in the skin and seeds of grapes used to make wine, has promising heart-healthy benefits. It has been linked with all sorts of health benefits over the years: the heart, the lungs, prevention of breast cancer, prostate cancer, tooth decay, longevity and just general wellbeing. The main health benefit of moderate alcohol use appears to be related to its effect on the development of atherosclerosis or the accumulation of fatty plaques in the blood vessels, particularly the coronary arteries that supply the heart. Recommendations to consume moderate amounts of wine are limited to individuals with a clean bill of health. Similarly, in countries like Australia, the US and the UK, wine drinkers are believed to smoke less,exercise more and generally lead ‘healthier’ lifestyles than most beer drinkers. It could therefore be that healthy lifestyles associated with wine drinking are protective against heart disease, rather than wine drinking itself.

The so-called “Mediterranean diet”, which includes a larger intake of wine, has been credited with lower rates of heart disease in those countries, despite a higher intake of saturated fats. The pro-red wine studies suggest antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. It’s not yet known how beneficial eating grapes or other foods might be compared with drinking red wine when it comes to promoting heart health. It’s interesting to note that if I have a second glass of wine at the end of a busy week, my heart rate and blood pressure drop significantly. However, more research is needed before we know whether red wine is better for your heart than are other forms of alcohol, such as beer or spirits.

“One to 2 drinks per day of any alcohol type have been shown to increase HDL cholesterol by about 12%. Some researchers believe that resveratrol might be the key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces “bad” cholesterol and prevents blood clots. Other studies also indicated that red wine can raise HDL cholesterol (the Good cholesterol) and prevent LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) from forming.

One of the well-known and most studied benefits of red wine is its heart protective effect. The diversity of red wine is such that it can match any type of food. A succulent fillet steak washed down with a glass of fine red wine is one of the great gastronomic double acts. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail, and the medical findings that red wine is actually beneficial for one’s health will pave the way toward adopting the red wine consumption on a larger scale.

By: Paul Rodgers

It has been proven that red wines, when being consumed, may have a number of health benefits due to the high antioxidant substance. Red wines contain certain antioxidants not found in other alcoholic beverages that offer extra health-protective effects.

Recent studies have proven that when woman consume one glass of red wine (men consume two glasses) it lowers the risk of a heart attack by 30-50 percent. Also, if you have already had a heart attack it decreases the risk of you having another one in the near future.

In other studies, researchers have found that red wines can raise HDL cholesterol and prevent LDL cholesterol from molding. In addition, red wines can also help prevent blood clotting and lower the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits. Studies have shown that the people from the Mediterranean region, who drink red wines on a regular basis, have a lower risk of heart disease.

Unlike other alcoholic drinks, red wines contain important antioxidant and resveratrol, both which helps repair damaged cells. Resveratrol, commonly found in grape skins and seeds, increases HDL cholesterol and prevents blood clotting. Another antioxidant found in red wines is flavonoid. Flavonoid displays antioxidant properties that help prevent blood clots and plaques formation in the arteries. In retrospect, drinking red wines can increase heart health and circulation and also help prevent cancer.

Also, red wines can help fight against colon cancer. In a recent study, “those who drank one glass of wine each week were far less likely to develop colorectal polyps; only one percent of wine drinkers were afflicted compared to twelve percent of nondrinkers and eighteen percent of those who consumed either grain-based liquor or beer.”

Overall, people who drink wine, beer or spirits frequently and temperately had a lower occurrence of coronary heart disease than heavy drinkers, nondrinkers and those people who drink randomly and splurge when they do drink. The benefits are typically associated with consistent, temperately drinking; while serious health problems are associated with heavy drinking and random overindulge drinking.

By: Lindsay Alston