Is Red Wine Good For You?
It may come as a shock to some people that on the basis that this is a health and fitness website, the last thing you'd think it would feature would be an endorsement to drinking.
Let's get this straight. It would be futile (and hypocritical) of me to write a piece for fitFAQS and vilify all forms of alcohol, particularly at Christmas, when we all know full well that whatever i say most people will, at one time or another, drink too much and suffer the consequences the next day. It's pointless patronising intelligent people about the health implications of drinking too much alcohol, because let's face it - we are all aware that in excess it does damage the liver and have chronic health implications
However, we all enjoy a drink every now and again and one question I am asked a lot is whether Red wine is the best choice. Is it really good for you?
Well take a look at the beloved French. Love them or hate them, you will always respect their wine. Our industrial action-loving, cheese-munching neighbours are renowned for not only producing enough wine to fill the Atlantic but also being able to drink a fair bit of it too. Yet despite a diet rich in cheese, fatty meat and butter, French instances of heart disease are a third of that of Americans. This shocking statistic has become known as the ‘French Paradox'.
The reason for this has intrigued scientists for years and now several links have been made to the benefits of drinking red wine. But before you go and open an account at a wine merchant in the name of healthy living, it's worth knowing why drinking a glass or two of red wine a night can actually be good for you.
First, moderate - yes, moderate - amounts of alcohol have been proven to help reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure. That's not to say that it can replace cholesterol and blood pressure lowering medication, but over time studies prove that red wine can help. Alcohol also has the added benefit of reducing the sticky consistency of your blood platelets, thus significantly reducing the chances of a blood clot. Second, red wine itself is rich in antioxidants, specifically phytochemicals known as flavonoids. These flavonoids seem to significantly help counter the effects of skin-damaging free radicals and keep the skin elastic and healthy.
Evidence for the health benefits of red wine is so overwhelming that even the World Health Organisation has agreed that a moderate consumption of alcohol can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. So, if you combine the health benefits of a moderate amount of alcohol with the antioxidant properties of red grapes, is yours a Shiraz or a Merlot?