Thinking about your next weekend getaway? Consider taking a wine tour in Napa Valley or visit your local vineyards in McKinney or Grapevine. Red wine has been part of our diet dating back to 6,000 and 4,000 BC. Archaeologists indicate that Egyptians and Greeks found many uses for red wine in medicine including disinfectants, treatments of dementia, and alleviating indigestion.  Today, there are numerous studies suggesting it may promote added benefits to being heart healthy!

How is it heart healthy?

Red wine contains antioxidants known as polyphenols. Polyphenols protect the lining of your blood vessels by acting as scavengers to pick up free radicals in your body. Antioxidants also help prevent heart disease by increasing HDL “good” cholesterol and reducing LDL “bad” cholesterol. An example of polyphenol is resveratrol, which is found in the skins and seeds of red grapes. Other fruits rich in resveratrol are blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, and bilberries. Red wine also raises levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which protects against coronary heart disease. Keeping blood vessels healthy is a contributing factor to maintaining a longer life span!

Preventing dementia

Professor Edward Neafsey from Loyola University Medical center found that red wine consumption can reduce the risk of developing dementia because resveratrol helps maintain a good blood supply to our brain. In fact, it reduces the stickiness of blood platelets and keeps blood vessels open. They said, “moderate red wine drinkers had a 23% lower risk of developing dementia compared to people who rarely or never consumed the alcoholic beverage.”

Preventing breast cancer

Evidence from the Journal of Women’s Health suggest resveratrol reduce estrogen levels while raising testosterone in pre-menopausal women. This results in lowering the risk of developing breast cancer. Note that this effect is only found in red wine, other alcoholic drinks raises estrogen levels and can encourage growth of cancer cells.

Preventing type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is when insulin production is inadequate or the body’s cells is not responding to insulin. As published in the Journal of Cell Metabolism, scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences discover that resveratrol improves sensitivity to insulin by increasing the enzyme SIRT1. This is one step closer to fighting insulin resistance.

Protects the brain from stroke damage

According to the Journal Experimental Neurology, researchers indicate that red wine may protect the brain from stroke damage. The enzyme oxygenase is responsible for protecting nerve cells in the brain from damage. Professor Sylvian Dore suggest resveratrol is responsible for raising levels of heme oxygenase; however, further research is needed.

Also,  check out this article from Wine Turtle.

Sources mentioned in this article:

Mayo Clinic “Red wine and resveratrol: Good for your heart?”

Medical News Today “What are the benefits of wine?”