HEALTH BENEFITS OF WINE RED OR WHITE
Wine, along with other alcoholic beverages, has long been a part of every civilized society. It is widely claimed to have been around as early as the 6000BC, in what is now the modern day Iran.The Egyptians used them in their ceremonies and served them to pharaohs who are thought to be gods. The Greeks and the Romans made use of wine as a social lubricant to freely exchange ideas and philosophies.
Today, wine drinking is making a huge resurgence because of the Millennials. These younger generation of drinkers prefer wine over other beverages. This generation, characterized as being in the 18-34 age group, environmentally aware, technologically savvy and health conscious, drink wine since it is widely perceived that it is the beverage that has the most health benefit among the popular drinks.
So what are these health benefits of wine?
Researchers have found that the health benefits of wine include the presence of flavonoids which are known for their antioxidant properties. These antioxidants work with the body’s immune system to resist viruses. These beneficial chemicals also help in fighting carcinogens which can cause certain types of cancer.
Another benefit include the increase of the levels of high-density lipoproteins in one’s body when drinking wine. The lipoproteins assists in the elimination of the LDL or the bad cholesterol which is one of the leading causes for heart problems. This fact should not be taken lightly since heart disease is among the biggest killers in the western world.
The main reason why wine consumption helps in keeping a healthy heart is because wine makes the blood is thinner and therefore flows far more easily. This also prevents stroke which is caused by blood clots that prevents the flow of blood in the body. The polyphenols in red grape skins which are leached into the red wine also helps keep arteries open.
Wine is also proven to help lower the chance of developing diabetes later in life. The wine’s chemicals help cleanse the glucose and helps the pancreas to function efficiently. The high glucose levels are associated for the onset of diabetes so drinking wine can prevent this as well.
Wine also has phenolic compounds that help protect against the presence of antioxidants. These phenolic compounds help inhibit the oxidation of the molecules that results in lowering the amount of free radicals.The free radicals are one of the main chemicals which causes aging. These antioxidants help slow the process of agingand also prevents the development of cancer.
Another interesting property of phenolic compounds is that it also increases the temperature of the body when drinking.This increase in temperature actually booststhe metabolic actions of the body. This means that wine not only slows aging but also helps a lot in losing weight.
Considerations in Drinking Wine
It is important to remember that one can have the health benefits of wine without drinking excessive amounts of wine. It is recommended that one or two glasses is enough to receive the benefits. Certain medical conditions,as well as certain medications also have to be considered before taking alcohol. It is best to consult your doctor first to ensure that you can get all the health benefits of wine with no problems.