Is Wine THAT good for you?.

Is Wine THAT good for you?

Alcohol and in particular, red wine, has long been thought of as heart healthy. Red wine contain antioxidants, known as resveratrol, which may help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol).

BUT…

Before you bottom’s up, drinking excessively is deleterious to your health and moderation MAY be the answer.

How is red wine heart healthy?

• There’s no clear evidence that wine is better than other forms of alcohol when it comes to possible heart-healthy benefits.

Resveratrol in red wine:

• Resveratrol might be a key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) and prevents blood clots.
• Research suggests that the antioxidant when given to mice decreases obesity and diabetes.
• HOWEVER, to get the same dose of reservatrol, a person would have to drink 1000 bottles a wine per day.

Resveratrol in grapes, supplements and other foods

• The resveratrol in red wine comes from the skin of grapes used to make wine.
• Simply eating grapes, or drinking grape juice, has been suggested as one way to get resveratrol without drinking alcohol.
• Other foods that contain resveratrol include peanuts, blueberries and cranberries.

How does alcohol help the heart?

• Various studies have shown that moderate amounts of all types of alcohol benefit your heart, not just alcohol found in red wine. It’s thought that alcohol:
  • Raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol
  • Reduces the formation of blood clots
  • Helps prevent artery damage caused by high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol
  • Produces changes in blood pressure

Drinking too much increases your risk of…

• high blood pressure
• high triglycerides
• liver damage
• obesity
• certain types of cancer
• accidents and other problems
• heart failure

You also shouldn’t drink alcohol if you’re pregnant.

Bottom Line

Drink in moderation — or not at all

Men:

Up to 2 drinks per day

Women:

1 drink per day

A drink is defined as:

12 ounces (355 milliliters, or mL) of beer

5 ounces (148 mL) of wine

1.5 ounces (44 mL) of 80-proof distilled spirits

Neither the American Heart Association nor the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommend that you start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease.

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