Cheers To Your Health, Courtesy Of Wine

We often drink it with a nice dinner, at celebrations when socializing with our friends, or in a bubble bath after a long day to help us unwind and relax. What is this majestic drink that can turn any frown upside down? It’s wine, of course! Beyond the mental happiness it can bring, drinking wine can also be incredibly beneficial for your physical health when it is consumed in moderation. Find out now how wine can enhance your mental performanceand protect your body from multiple ailments, including cancer, a stroke, and heart disease.

A Toast To Your Health

Before we dive right into why wine is so crucial to our mental and physical health, let’s define what moderation is and what exactly is a healthy amount of wine meant for consumption. The United StatesDietary Guidelines 2015 to 2020, outlines that moderate drinking - meaning a healthy consumption amount - is only one glass of wine for females per day, and up to two glasses of wine for males per day. According to medical professionals, a proper pour is five ounces, which means you’re going to have to retire that oversized wine glass and only use it for special occasions.

There is also one key chemical compound found in wine that truly is magical with helping the body stay healthy and alert. Resveratrol is a compound produced by plants to fight off bacteria and fungi and aids in the protection against ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The resveratrol found in wine comes from the skin of red grapes, as well as in blueberries, cranberries, peanuts, and can also be taken in supplement form. Researchers have discovered this compound can boost overall cardiovascular health, protect the body’s cells against cancer, help treat acne, enhance cognitive performance, and is an active element that fights against nasty free radicals.

Loaded With Antioxidants

When it comes to battling free radicals, which cause cell damage and can lead to numerous critical health problems such as cancer, wine could be your first line of defense. Research has indicated wine is full of antioxidants that attack free radicals and stop the chain reaction that results in vital molecules the body needs from being damaged. One study conducted by the University of Barcelona found the phenols in white wine had an equal, if not a higher concentration of antioxidants when compared to red wine. However, both offer numerous components of antioxidants that the body needs. This is an interesting conclusion from this study, as most wine drinkers typically believe red wine provides the most nutrients for the body, as well as the most health benefits.

Give Your Immunity & Bones A Boost

While daily vitamins, regular exercise, and drinking water on a regular basis are great ways to boost and maintain immunity health, drinking one glass of wine a day can effectively improve the immune system’s ability to fight off disease and prevent illnesses. It should be noted you shouldn’t get carried away with excessive drinking, as too much of a good thing (even wine) can lead to adverse effects on the body and reverse the purpose of drinking wine for an immunity boost. Excessive drinking forces the liver to work harder to process the enzymes in alcohol and damage your immunity.

As we age, our bones become more brittle and prone to breakage. Wine to the rescue! Although milk, yogurt, cheese, and other dairy products are known to have high concentrations of calcium, which aids in the prevention of brittle bones, red wine has high levels of silicon, which is highly beneficial for bone mineral density. Silicon found in red wine increases the density and strength of your bones and reduces your chance of developing osteoporosis.

Cancer Fighter

In the raging war against cancer, wine might be your saving grace, as it has proven to reduce the risk of developing breast, colon, prostate, and lung cancer with just one glass per day. The antioxidants found in wine fight against the horrible free radicals that allow cancer to grow and thrive, particularly red wine has been proven as highly beneficial, as the resveratrol found in it fights against not only heart disease but also cancerous cells.

Scientists at Harvard Medical School have discovered that men who drink on average four to seven glasses of red wine per week are fifty-two percent less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer compared to those who do not consume (red) wine at all. Additionally, researchers found red wine appears to be highly protective against advanced and aggressive cancers. If you’re vying for a red wine high in the powerful cancer combatant, resveratrol, we suggest trying a glass of cabernet sauvignon.

Heart Disease Eliminator

Although the American Heart Association does not support drinking wine or any alcohol for non-drinkers or those at risk of alcoholism, they do support light to moderate drinking that can promote positive heart health. Wine has been found to promote heart health, as the tannins found in red wine contain procyanidins - which are phenols that neutralize free radicals - that have shown to prevent cardiovascular disease. A study conducted by researchers at the Israel Institute of Technology tested the effects red wine has on the health of blood vessels. After twenty-one days of continuous consumption, participants showed that their blood vessel cell health greatly improved, as well as an enhancement in blood flow, which overall increases the health of the heart, and lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Wine has also proven to have a healthy dosage of omega-3 fatty acids, which are believed to further protect the heart against disease. One research study showed that in 1,604 adult participants, regular and moderate wine consumption was related to higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which further helped to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Lowers Cholesterol

Do you suffer from low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol, also known as the bad cholesterol? Fear no more if you do, because wine is here to rescue you! The same procyanidins found in red wine that aid in promoting a healthy heart also support healthy cholesterol levels and decrease LDL cholesterol. The mighty resveratrol strikes again as research has proven it lowers LDL - or bad cholesterol - while increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol - also known as good cholesterol. Red wine can also help with maintaining blood pressure at a healthy level. So pour yourself a glass and take a sip of medicinal red wine to keep your circulatory system in check!

Stroke Prevention

As mentioned, moderate consumption of wine and even alcohol, in general, can prevent blood clots, as wine acts as a natural blood thinner as it breaks up blood clots that could lead to a stroke. This decrease in blood clotting and strokes are greatly beneficial for females more so than males. Specifically, red wine contains phenols and resveratrol, which act as natural blood thinners, similar to other blood-thinning medications. One study conducted by John Hopkins University Medical Center found resveratrol is found in the skin of red grapes and could protect the body against stroke when the grapes are fermented and turned into wine.

Further tests performed on mice showed resveratrol increased the levels of heme oxygenase, which is an enzyme known to protect nerve cells in the brain from any form of damage. Therefore, if a stroke ever strikes, the brain is prepared to protect itself due to the higher levels of this enzyme. However, moderation is key when it comes to consuming wine or any alcohol, as heavy drinkers have quite the opposite effect, as they are at a higher risk of suffering from a stroke.

Fuel For The Brain

It might sound absurd, but drinking one glass of wine has been shown to improve brain function, enhance cognitive abilities, and even lower the risk of developing neurological diseases. The chemicals found in red wine prevent the brain’s neurons from dying, and the chemical components can also protect the brain from neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.

A research team from Loyola University Medical Center further backed up these claims, as they discovered moderate red wine consumption can reduce the risk of developing dementia, as a long-term study of data from nineteen counties discovered this statistic. Researchers found the key to decreasing these neurological risks was due to resveratrol as it reduces the stickiness found in blood platelets and allows the blood vessels to be open and flexible. Which also promotes a healthy supply of blood to the brain, and is a critical factor in keeping the brain sharp and focused.

Wine Will Make You Immortal

For starters, no wine will not make you immortal, but it's a nice afterthought, wouldn’t you agree? Instead, wine has been proven to increase longevity in many studies and is a core aspect of the Mediterranean Diet, which is associated with a healthy lifestyle and lifespan. The magical aspect of wine associated with longevity is, of course, resveratrol! Scientists at Harvard Medical School learned that resveratrol activates a protein that behaves as an anti-aging agent within the body, with this interaction improving overall health and promoting longevity. Not only does it improve longevity, but wine drinkers have also been shown to have a thirty-four percent lower mortality rate compared to spirits and beer drinkers, based on a Finnish study of 2,468 men over a twenty-nine year period.