Wine, and especially red wine, has been studied extensively. Evidence suggests that moderate consumption may help people live longer, protect against certain cancers, improve mental health, and enhance heart health.

Centuries ago, wine was used treat various health conditions. Medieval monasteries were convinced that their monks lived longer than the rest of the population partly because of their moderate, regular consumption of wine. In recent years, science has indicated that this could be true.

However, any health benefits only apply to moderate drinking. The United States (U.S.) Dietary Guidelines 2015 to 2020 define moderate drinking as: “Up to one drink per day for women, and up to two drinks per day for men, and only by adults of legal drinking age.”

Some people should not drink at all. It is best to discuss any planned increase in consumption with a doctor.

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Red Wine Healthy Ingredient

Red wine is loaded with antioxidants, particularly flavonoids like quercetin and resveratrol. These antioxidants boost many of the body’s processes but are particularly revered for improving heart health. Bioflavonoids are a large family of polyphenolic compounds that carry out key functions in plants, such as fighting environmental stresses and modulating cell growth.

One of the best-known flavonoids that’s present in red wine is quercetin.

Quercetin is one of the most abundant antioxidants in the human diet, and it plays an important role in fighting free radical damage, the effects of aging and inflammation. Research shows that quercetin can help to manage a number of inflammatory health conditions, including:

• heart disease
• infections
• chronic fatigue
• autoimmune disorders
• arthritis
• allergies
• blood vessel problems
• cognitive impairment
• eye-related disorders
• high cholesterol
• heart disease
• skin disorders
• cancer
• stomach ulcers
• atherosclerosis
• diabetes
• gout

The presence of quercetin is at least partly responsible for the benefits of red wine. Other flavonoids found in red wine are procyanidins, which are also present in high amounts in chocolate and apples. Research shows that procyanidins have potent antioxidant activity and the ability to boost immune function.

Resveratrol is another polyphenic bioflavonoid antioxidant found in red wine. It’s classified as a phytoestrogen because it interacts with estrogen receptors in a positive way. It’s believed to be one of the most potent polyphenols and strongest protectors against free radical damage, cognitive decline, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Plants actually produce resveratrol partly as a protective mechanism and response to stressors within their environments, like radiation, injury and fungal infections.

Red wine is probably the best known source of resveratrol due to the fermentation process that turns grape juice to alcohol. When red wine is produced, grape seeds and skins ferment in the grape’s juices, which has a positive effect on the levels and availability of resveratrol.

People use resveratrol for a number of anti-aging and healing benefits, and research suggests that it can boost your health in the following ways:

• fight oxidative stress
• support cellular and tissue health
• protect against cancer
• promote circulation
• protect cognitive health
• prevent premature aging
• support healthy digestion
• improve energy and endurance
• protect against diabetes

Top Benefits of Red Wine

Here are some key points about red wine and health. More detail is in the main article.

• Red wine is high in resveratrol, and it may offer various health benefits.
• Resveratrol may boost heart health, protect against some kinds of cancer, and prevent some types of vision loss.
• Grapes and berries are a better source of resveratrol than red wine, so eating these is likely to be more healthful than drinking wine.
• However, if you are going to drink, red wine appears to be more healthful than some kinds of alcoholic beverage.
• Women should not drink more than one glass a day, and men, two glasses.

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1. Boosts Heart Health

Active compounds in red wine, including polyphenols, resveratrol and quercetin, have proved to have cardioprotective properties. Numerous cross-sectional, observational and controlled studies show that drinking moderate amounts of red wine has beneficial effects on many different aspects related cardiovascular disease.

Research shows that the antioxidant nutrients in red wine can slow down the progression of atherosclerosis, a type of arteriosclerosis that occurs when there’s buildup of fats, cholesterol and plaque in the artery walls.  One study, published in the International Journal of Molecule Medicine, found that moderate alcohol intake, especially red wine, decreased cardiac mortality due to atherosclerosis, but people who didn’t drink any red wine and people who drank too much red wine were at a higher risk of cardiac mortality.

There’s also plenty of evidence supporting the beneficial role of resveratrol, which protects the heart cells from tissue damage after a stroke, inhibits platelet buildup, and decreases triglyceride and cholesterol accumulation. Resveratrol has also been shown to relax the coronary arteries, making it at least partly responsible for the red wine benefits that are associated with cardiovascular disease.

Quercetin, one of the most important flavonoids present in red wine, has also proved to promote heart health by regulating blood pressure levels, reducing inflammation and preventing oxidative stress.

2. Improves Cholesterol

According to a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, wine consumption was associated with a significant increase in HDL cholesterol, with participants seeing their levels improve by 11 percent to 16 percent.

Another study, conducted at Curtin University in Australia, found that regular consumption of red wine reduced the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by lowering LDL cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women by 8 percent and increased HDL cholesterol levels by 17 percent.

3. Fights Free Radical Damage

The accumulation of free radicals plays a major role in the development of chronic and degenerative diseases, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases. The antioxidants in red wine help counteract oxidative stress by acting as free radical scavengers that prevent and repair damage caused by oxidation. Antioxidants enhance the body’s immune defenses and lower the risk of developing a number of serious health conditions.

Because of its ability to fight free radical damage, resveratrol found in red wine has the ability to block the multistep process of carcinogenesis, including the various stages of tumor initiation, promotion and progression. Resveratrol is involved in the downregulation of the body’s inflammatory responses.

4. Helps Manage Diabetes

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have found that red wine may slow the passage of glucose through the small intestine and eventually into the bloodstream, helping prevent the spike in blood sugar levels experienced by patients with type 2 diabetes. This research proves that because of the benefits of red wine, it can actually be part of a diabetic diet plan when consumed in moderation.

Both red and white wines were tested to determine how well they could inhibit the activity of an enzyme that’s responsible for triggering the absorption of glucose. Researchers found that red wine was the clear winner, inhibiting the enzymes by nearly 100 percent, while values for white wine were around 20 percent. The efficacy of red wine was so significant because it contains roughly 10 times more polyphenolics (a type of antioxidants) than white wine.

In addition to these findings, the study found another red wine benefit, which is that it had no effect on a pancreatic enzyme that breaks down starch and is needed by patients to avoid the side effects of blood sugar medications.

5. Fights Obesity and Weight Gain

A study conducted at Purdue University found that red wine may help to fight obesity. This is due to a compound found in grapes and other fruits (like blueberries and passionfruit) called piceatannol, which has a similar chemical structure to resveratrol. According to researchers, piceatannol blocks an immature fat cell’s ability to develop and grow. It’s also been found to alter the timing of gene expressions, gene functions and insulin functions during the fat cell’s metabolic process.

When piceatannol is present, there’s a complete inhibition of adipogenesis, the process of cell development. Piceatannol is so effective at fighting obesity and weight gain because it’s able to destroy fat cells early in the process of cell development, thereby preventing fat cell accumulation and, later on, body mass gain. It does this by binding to insulin receptors found in fat cells and blocking insulin’s ability to control cell cycles. It also blocks insulin’s activity to activate genes that are important in the later stages of fat formation.

6. May Help Prevent Alzheimers’s Disease

Research indicates that people who eat a Mediterranean diet, consisting of red wine, vegetables, legumes, fruits, fish and olive oil, have a 28 percent lower risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and a 48 percent lower risk of progressing from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease.

There’s even more research on the red wine specifically as a preventive measure and natural treatment for Alzheimer’s. According to research published in Frontiers in Aging and Neuroscience, resveratrol may control the main features of Alzheimer’s disease and slow dementia progression. This is due to resveratrol’s ability to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, and work as a neuroprotectant.

Red wine’s potential heart-healthy benefits look promising. Those who drink moderate amounts of alcohol, including red wine, seem to have a lower risk of heart disease. To take advantage of these health benefits of red wine, you can visit the liquor store in Avon, Colorado who are experts in providing good quality red wine.