by Lynelle Herndon

Created on: February 13, 2008

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.

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