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RSS FeedTruth or fiction: Red wine has health benefits
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| Truth | 95% | 136 votes | Total: 143 votes | |
| Fiction | 5% | 7 votes |
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Add to FavoritesThere is scientific evidence that red wine is beneficial to your health.
In 2001 an article in "The International Journal of Epidemiology" reviewed numerous studies and concluded that moderate drinkers did have a lower incidence of heart disease than non-drinkers. Some studies suggested that all alcoholic drinks produced this advantage. (A 1994 article in the British Medical Journal reported the results of a 13-year study on over 12,000 doctors, and still concluded that "small amounts of alcohol are associated with a lower risk of death from ischaemic heart disease, and from several other causes.") One 1996 article in the British Medical Journal later compared wine directly to other alcoholic beverages, and concluded that wine was no better than other alcoholic beverages. But other studies argued that red wine did have some unique beneficial properties.
Researche rs also warned that excessive alcohol consumption, beyond moderation, actually increased the risk of heart disease (as well as cirrhosis of the liver). But it turns out that fighting heart disease isn't the only health benefit offered by red wine. Red wine also contains high amounts of useful chemical compounds like catechins and resveratrol, which are anti-oxidants believed to be helpful in fighting cancer. Resveratrol, which is actually a form of estrogen, has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, and may even fight the formation of cancer cells.
Red wine has also been showed to lower levels of bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol. And in January of 2008, researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia announced that red wine (as well as grape juice) may fight food-borne pathogens and bacteria.
(They recommended Cabernet, Zinfandel, and Merlot in particular.) The researchers conducted the same tests on white wines, but found only red wines produced these results.
Some individuals are genetically pre-disposed to alcoholism, and excessive alcohol consumption is a serious problem. But crusades against liquor must now contend with the additional scientific fact that moderate drinking of red wine really has been shown to have a series of specific health benefits.
Learn more about this author, Moe Zilla.
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Fiction
Red wine has health drawbacks. Red wine is full of calories and carbohydrates; there is no protein, no fiber, no monounsaturated fat, no polyunsaturated fat. Red wine is an alcoholic beverage that comes with same health risks that all alcoholic beverages come with. No matter how you choose to look at it, red wine is not good for you.
The truth is that there are beneficial substances in wine, as there are in most things that are not completely good for you. The main reason it is said that red wine has health benefits is because it contains the phenolic compound resveratrol. Resveratrol has antioxidant value. Antioxidants are the nutrients that prevent and repair the oxidative damage that is the natural result of our body cells using oxygen. In other words, the antioxidants in red wine help to protect against disease such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
However, the antioxidants that are found in red wine can also be found in grapes and grape juice. In fact, there are plenty of more nutritious foods that you can eat to get antioxidants such as carrots, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, citrus fruits, strawberries, whole grains, eggs, fish, and white meat poultry.
While red wine may come with the slight benefit that all foods with antioxidants have, it is not healthy. Aside from the empty calories it contains, it also comes with the many health risks associated with alcohol, including cirrhosis of the liver, various forms of cancers, and psychological side effects. Though when drank in moderation (one or two glasses per day) red wine may not be damaging, it can hardly be said to have health benefits.
If you're looking for an excuse to have some wine with dinner, then by all means have a toast toward cancer prevention. If you're trying to become or remain healthy, try adding some nature to your diet: fruit, nuts, vegetables, anything that comes from a plant. Remember that red wine is not a medicine; it's an alcoholic beverage. Excess alcohol consumption can lead to many health drawbacks, including the very cancer you were seeking to prevent with that red wine.
Learn more about this author, Lynelle Herndon.
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