Health Benefits of Red Wine

Drinking red wine can benefit your health, and can be an enjoyable experience. There is a caveat, however: always consume red wine in moderation. This means one to two glasses a day for men and one glass a day for women. And for the record, you cannot abstain from drinking alcohol throughout the week and then make up for missed days by drinking these amounts all at once. The recommended consumption rate is not cumulative; that would be unhealthy.

Red wines are a rich source of biologically active compounds known as hytochemicals, which are chemicals found in plants. In particular, phytochemicals called polyphenols are found in red wine.

Two polyphenols in red wine are catechins and resveratrol, both of which are antioxidants. Antioxidants are defined as any substance that reduces oxidative damage (damage due to oxygen such as that caused by free radicals). Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals that attack molecules by capturing electrons and thus modifying chemical structures.

Antioxidants may possibly reduce the risks of cancer and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Antioxidants clearly slow the progression of AMD.

In particular, the antioxidant resveratrol not only provides antioxidant protection from free-radical damage, but it helps to protect LDL cholesterol against oxidation, promotes optimal cardiovascular health, supports and supports healthy aging and normal cell growth.

Catechin, on the other hand, appears to play an important role in reducing the risk of heart disease.

Another antioxidant group called Saponins, is also found in red wine and it also may offer protective benefits for the heart and is easily absorbed by the body.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, have shown that red wine may help regulate blood sugar levels in those with type 2 diabetes. Both red and white wines were tested to determine how well they could inhibit the activity of a target enzyme called alpha-glucosidase, which regulates the absorption of glucose by the small intestine. Red wine inhibited the enzyme by nearly 100 percent, interfering the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. White wine inhibited it at about 20 percent.

Also, Researchers at the University of South Carolina say a chemical found abundantly in red wine, quercetin, a known anti-inflammatory, helps reduce the susceptibility to influenza, especially after exercise, when the body is most susceptible to infection. The anti-viral properties of quercetin remain unknown, but the researchers speculates that the compound may block the ability of the virus to replicate itself.

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