“Wine improves with age. The older I get the better I like it!” – Anonymous
The Benefits of Drinking Wine . . .
Do you even want to know what they are? Of course, you do! Who doesn’t want to hear about the benefits of doing something that can sometimes been seen as bad for you to hear that there are benefits of it being good for you. We all see the reports of different surveys done every year on the health benefits of drinking wine, but can it really make a difference? Well, I googled this subject to the breaking point of my little computer and here is what I came up with . . .
Helps memory and cognitive function
Studies have shown that people who drink moderate amounts of wine a day (that’s one to two four ounce glasses) may have a reduced risk of suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s. It is thought that this is due to the fact that alcohol promotes the production of HDL, the “good cholesterol,” which helps reduce the inflammation and clogging of artery walls. For this same reason, it is also believed that drinking moderate amounts of wine can help reduce the risk of suffering from a stroke.
Promotes Longevity
Wine drinkers have a 34 percent lower mortality rate than beer or spirits drinkers. Source: a Finnish study of 2,468 men over a 29-year period, published in the Journals of Gerontology, 2007.
Helps with weight management – this is my favorite one!
According to one study, women who drank one to two glasses of wine a day were found to be 30 percent less likely to be overweight than women who didn’t drink. The explanation? Basically, it has to the do with the amount of energy being spent creating the enzymes required to digest the drink – some research has found that your body can burn calories up to 90 minutes after consuming a glass. Another theory has to do with the fact that alcohol raises your body temperature which makes you burn calories.
Cuts Risk of Cataracts
Moderate drinkers are 32 percent less likely to get cataracts than nondrinkers; those who consume wine are 43 percent less likely to develop cataracts than those drinking mainly beer. Source: a study of 1,379 individuals in Iceland, published in Nature, 2003.
Reduces the risk of heart disease, strokes and diabetes
Studies have shown that when consumed in moderate amounts benefits of drinking wine lower occurrences of heart disease and other heart related illnesses occur, over people who do not drink wine. Stroke and diabetes are other conditions that benefit from consuming wine by the discharging of glucose from the system. Stroke, another killer, because of the effects of blood thinning by drinking wine, stroke becomes much less of a threat.
Can help with Osteoporosis
It has been proven that wine can increase bone density and therefore is advantageous to people with osteoporosis, and the reason is said drinking wine increases estrogen, which contributes to strengthening bones.
Can offset the negative effects of weightlessness
I love this one. Only good if you are an astronaut! Apparently, a new study shows that resveratrol (found in wines) can prevent bone density and muscle atrophy and thus offset two of the effects that commonly plague astronauts!
Of course, one should always drink wine in moderation. Anything in excess is not good for you.
Sources: Science Daily, The Daily Meal and Food & Drink
