Thank you One Hope Wine! Did you know
that One Hope Wine donates 50% of its profits to select charities! What an
amazing company.
The Italians have a saying: “One
barrel of wine can work more miracles than a church full of saints.” While this
statement may be difficult to prove, studies suggest it could possibly be true.
For a number of years, scientists have been paying a lot of attention to the
health benefits of drinking red wine. What are some of the potential secrets to
red wine’s miracle cure?
Many people have heard that a Mediterranean influenced diet is beneficial to your health. Why? The theory is that the high antioxidant levels contained in a diet full of fruit and vegetables extinguishes the free radicals and other oxidants which damage your cells and tissues. Similarly, red wine contains antioxidant chemicals that have also been credited with a lowered risk of heart disease. Antioxidants act as a biological “army” to protect the lining of your blood vessels from developing the dangerous fatty plaque that causes atherosclerosis. This plaque is developed from damaged (oxidized) fat molecules that begin collecting within the lining of the blood vessels. Antioxidants sacrifice themselves by taking the place of the tissue and cells so that they are not damaged and can thus continue with their regular metabolism.
Red wine is rich in a class of
compounds known as polyphenols, which can also be found in teas, chocolate, and
fruit. These compounds are involved in the quality of the wine because they
influence the color, bitterness, astringency, and chemical stability.
Polyphenols have been associated with numerous cardiovascular benefits: they
reduce blood clots, relax blood vessels and promote healthy cholesterol metabolism.
In one clinical study, volunteers were asked to drink 12 ounces
of red wine daily for two weeks. At the end of the study, researchers concluded
that a moderate daily intake of red wine was associated with a slight increase
in HDL cholesterol levels as well as an increase in chemicals that act as
antioxidants in the blood. Another research study determined that moderate wine
drinkers have lower incident of hypertension related mortality.
In a third notable study, researchers took all of the
information above one step further and recruited 15 volunteers with coronary
artery disease. They asked volunteers to drink 8.5 ounces of red wine everyday
for the first two weeks, and then switch to 8.5 ounces of non-alcoholic wine
for the next two weeks. Results of the study showed improved blood vessel
functioning after the two weeks of drinking the alcoholic red wine.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis tested a
variety of wines to determine which ones had the highest amount of polyphenolic
compounds. Results of the tests indicated that Cabernet Sauvignon was at
the top of the list, with Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir following closely
behind.
So how much wine do you need to drink before you can reap these
benefits? If a 4-ounce glass is equal to 1 serving of red wine, men should
drink 2 servings per day, while women only need 1.
There are strong efforts in the scientific community to
demonstrate that a moderate intake of red wine is beneficial to your health. So in staying with the Italian tradition, raise your glass and “Salute
a cent’anno” (Health for 100 years)!
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