We all have that friend who is obsessed with
wine — the one who can actually taste notes of blackberry and oak while we're proud of
ourselves for recognizing that it's a cabernet. Well, it turns out your wine snob friend may
be onto something. Wine has long been thought to be beneficial
for our health, so long as it's consumed in moderation. Usually red wine gets all the attention, but
studies have also shown that white wine may have the same health benefits. Of course, it's not all sunshine and grapes. If you usually enjoy a glass of wine after
winding down from a long day, here's what you need to know about how that daily glass
of vino is impacting your body.
Lifespan boost Enjoying a nightly glass of wine may lead
to a longer life. Research shows that regular wine drinkers
have a 34 percent lower rate of mortality than their beer or liquor-drinking buds. And if you're living longer, you may as well
look younger while you're at it, right? You can thank the researchers at Harvard Medical
School for this one. The compound resveratrol, which is found in
red wine, has been linked to having anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. If you're not a wine drinker, you can still
reap the benefits. In addition to finding this compound in red
wine, you can also get it from eating grapes, blueberries, cranberries, and nuts. Resveratrol activates an anti-aging pathway
in the body that leads to a longer lifespan, so drink up! However, this link is only found in moderate
drinkers, so regularly drinking an entire bottle by yourself might be more fun, but
less beneficial. "Doctors say a glass of wine a day can extend
your life. Cheers." Sunburn stopper Another way your glass of wine can make you
look younger is that it protects your skin from the sun.
A Spanish study in The Journal of Agricultural
Food and Chemistry found that the antioxidants in wine can help prevent the chemical reaction
UV ray exposure causes to the human body. Flavonoids, the antioxidants found in grapes,
can stop the chemical process that kills skin cells and leads to sunburn. So the next time you and your friends are
enjoying margaritas on the beach, reach for a nice red wine instead. Heart healthy Red wine has long been thought to protect
our hearts because it contains tannins, which have procyanidins that protect against heart
disease. Tannins are the compounds in wine that are
responsible for that dry taste. To get the most procyanidin bang for your
buck, stick with wines from southwest France.
These antioxidants in wine have been proven
to raise our HDL cholesterol. This is the good cholesterol, so we want that
number to be high. If you have high blood pressure, a nightly
glass of wine may be just what the doctor ordered. Of those dealing with high blood pressure,
it's the moderate drinkers who are 30 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack than
those who don't drink at all. Sugar solution If you've been having trouble managing your
diabetes, relaxing with a glass of wine could actually help.
In fact, a nightly glass of wine could even
prevent the condition. Studies show that moderate drinkers have a
30 percent lower chance of developing type 2 diabetes and that having a nightly glass
of red wine is also safe for most diabetics. Just make sure not to exceed that limit. "And look what I brought! Juice Boxes!" Our fictional BFFs Karen Walker and Olivia
Pope might say otherwise, but less is more when it comes to wine as medicine. Happy times We all tend to feel a little more relaxed
after a glass of wine. The stresses of the day melt away as we sit
at dinner with our friends and family, enjoying good conversation and great wine. It turns out those good feelings last way
beyond dinner. According to a study in BMC Medicine, moderate
wine drinkers may be protective against depression.
Drinking two to seven glasses of wine per
week is associated with lower rates of depression. However, once your drinking goes from moderate
to too much, the chances of feeling depressed actually go up, because heavy drinking is
associated with high rates of depression. So, keep the good vibes flowing with a few
glasses of wine per week. Cancer prevention We've all heard the research about red wine
and heart disease prevention, but the cancer news is pretty exciting, too. Regular drinking usually puts people at a
higher risk for cancer, but there's one exception to that rule: red wine. Moderate red wine drinking has been linked
to lower rates of breast cancer.
The chemicals found in the skins of red grapes
have been found to reduce estrogen levels and increase testosterone levels in premenopausal
women. It's this shift in hormones that can lower
the risk for breast cancer. These magic little red wine chemicals are
much higher in red grapes than in green. So if you like to enjoy a cocktail with dinner,
grab a bottle of pinot noir instead.
Brain games Too many glasses of wine can leave your brain
feeling a little fuzzy, but one with dinner is just right. Having that nightly wine may even protect
your brain from a blood clot or bleed. People who drink one or two drinks per night
have an eight percent lower risk of having a stroke. However, don't go crazy. Heavy drinkers, having at least four drinks
per night, have a 14 percent increased risk of stroke than those who don't drink or only
drink occasionally.
A glass of red wine with dinner may also put
you at lower risk for dementia. Moderate red wine drinkers have a 23 percent
lower risk of developing dementia than those who don't drink. Aging out the benefits Unfortunately, in addition to wrinkles and
reading glasses, older adults have another bummer to consider. All of those benefits from red wine don't
help the elderly. In fact, even just one glass per day can be
damaging. Research has found that elderly women, averaging
age 76, who have one glass of wine per day show small reductions in heart function. This is due to the increased size of the wall
of one of the heart chambers.
So, enjoy it while you're young, kids! Bottom line on bottoms up While a nightly glass of red wine certainly
seems like it could be part of a healthy lifestyle, don't feel like you have to drink everyday. Both the American Heart Association and the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute do not recommend drinking solely for heart
health. Plus alcohol can be addictive, and drinking
too much leads to major health problems. But if you can imbibe safely, it looks like
there at least some benefits beyond the buzz — so cheers to that! Thanks for watching! Click The List icon to subscribe to our YouTube
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