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| Artwork: Dr. Murad Abel |
“Red red wine
you make me feel so grand I feel a million dollars when your just in my hand”.
The song Red Red Wine by Neil Diamond may just have some healthy truth in it.
As it turns out red wine is healthy for the heart and can encourage a youthful
look. If you are going to drink something you might want to pick the option
with the most benefits. Instead of reaching for red bull and vodka try
something like a classic red wine.
According to the Mayo Clinic red wine has antioxidants
that increase the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol that
protects the arteries of the heart (1).
The antioxidants are called polyphenols and they protect the lining of blood
vessels in the heart to ensure that they do not get clogged.
According to
a study at the University of Leicester two glasses of wine can lower the
chances of developing cancerous tumors by 50% (2).
Most physicians will recommend a single glass of wine a day. This is great for
everyday usage. However, most people who dine out are likely to have more than
one and choosing red wine is a better option.
Red wine also has the amazing ability to reduce
aging and make you look younger. Your skin
will be more elastic, spots will be less likely, and small wrinkles may not
form as easily. The advantage of wine rests in the polyphenols ability to mop
up the damaging free radicals that create aging and age-related diseases (3).
The magic is in the fermentation process and uses
grape skins and seeds that are eventually removed but still leave the beneficial
results (4). Not
all wines are the same. Smaller wineries
with more organic products are better than larger wineries that use lots of
chemicals. The type of wine will also make a difference. According to the website Prevention (5)
the top three types of wine are:
Pinot noirs: Contain grapes with the highest
concentration of resveratrol from cold and rainy environments.
Syrahs and Merlots: Often made with blue color grapes with high concentrations of procyanidins.
