Is red wine the secret to good health?

If you’ve recently woken up with the mother of all hangovers, you will know that overdoing it on the alcohol front is never the best idea. But while drinking to excess is associated with a number of health concerns, is total sobriety really the only option if you want to look after your health and wellbeing?

With the party season upon us, there may be some good news for those wishing to indulge in the odd glass of red wine.

Red wine and your health

Made from whole crushed and fermented grapes (including the skins), red wine is often touted as the ‘healthy’ option when it comes to alcohol consumption, due to the presence of antioxidants, called polyphenols.

One of these polyphenols – resveratrol – has gained the most press attention in recent years, with some studies showing it may have some protective benefits when it comes to heart health.

One such study, carried out at the Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, states that resveratrol can indeed prevent ageing-related decline in cardiovascular function, including cholesterol levels and inflammatory response.

However, more recently, emphasis has been placed on the levels of resveratrol in red wine – which are low. In fact, you would need to drink several bottles of red wine in one sitting to ingest the amount of resveratrol needed to have a positive impact – and this is clearly not a viable or sensible option!

If you’re drinking red wine for health benefits, it turns out you could be better off eating the following foods, all of which contain resveratrol, as well as an array of other antioxidants and minerals beneficial to health.

• Grapes
• Grape juice
• Blueberries
• Peanuts
• Peanut butter
• Dark chocolate

On top of this, one large study, published in The Lancet, found that drinking within the recommended guidelines (less than 14 units per week) was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. So far, so good.

However, a further study states that only incidences of non-fatal heart attacks were reduced in those who drank. In fact, the rate of fatal heart attacks increased in drinkers, with a clear correlation between the amount drunk and the risk of a heart attack: the more you drink, the greater the risk. So even if there are some positive implications, it’s vital to stick within the limits.

Concerned about your cholesterol levels? A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that drinking small amounts of red wine may inhibit low-density lipoprotein (LDL – or ‘bad’) cholesterol from entering the bloodstream.

The researchers found that white wine was far less effective in doing this, and that the effect of the red wine was not due to its ethanol content.

Red wine in moderation is key

Let’s be clear: drinking more than the recommended guidelines (which is currently no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, for both men and women) and regularly binge drinking is proven to have negative long-term health effects. These include an increased risk of developing:

• High blood pressure and stroke
• Liver disease
• Nerve damage
• Gastric disorders
• Seven types of cancer, including bowel, breast and oesophageal
• Depression

If you have issues with addiction or there is a history of addiction in your family, it is not worth risking drinking alcohol, and if you do not currently drink alcohol, then it’s certainly not worth starting for any potential health benefits.

However, if you currently drink the odd glass of wine, while sticking to the guidelines and not bingeing, you’re probably fine to continue as you are – and you can do it guilt-free. Cheers!

If you are looking for a liquor store Avon, Colorado to get the right drink for your party, or just need some help selecting a perfect gift, our staff will be more than happy to greet and help you find the items you want.