By: Cheryl M. Luis
Drinking wine may be expensive and ‘sosyal’ to some, but more than just being heart-healthy, wine has a lot of surprising health benefits, thanks to grapes skin that contain resveratrol.
Resveratrol fight off bacteria and fungi, or to withstand a drought or lack of nutrients in some plants. Red and purple grapes, blueberries, cranberries, mulberries, peanuts, and pistachios are the best sources of resveratrol.
Resveratrol may be the wonder ingredient responsible for many of wine’s benefits but without resveratrol it does not yield the same powers, indicating that a constellation of forces act together to protect the body. Most studies focus on the benefits of red wine because white grapes do not contain resveratrol.
Check out the following fourteen benefits of wine that go way beyond heart healthiness.
Live longer
Daily consumption of wine could help live life longer. The idea is to eat fewer animal-based foods rather eat more plant based food. The best examples are the vegetables you will find in your backyard or munching the grapes.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School uncovered evidence that resveratrol directly activates a protein that promotes health and longevity in animal models. Resveratrol increases the activity of sirtuins or the pathway of longevity. This group of genes protects the body from diseases of aging.
The best example is the long-lived residents of Crete and Sardinia sipping dark red wine, a part of their anti-aging lifestyle.
In 2007 a study suggests procyanidins, compounds found in red wine tannins, help promote cardiovascular health. Wines produced in areas of southwest France and Sardinia, where people tend to live longer, have particularly high concentrations of the compound.
Get smarter
Resveratrol may help improve short-term memory. After just 30 minutes of testing, researchers found that participants taking resveratrol had a significant increase in retention of words and showed faster performance in the portion of the brain associated with the formation of new memories, learning, and emotions.
Banish acne breakouts
Resveratrol is able to inhibit the growth of acne-causing bacteria longer than benzoyl peroxide. And it works even better when combined with benzoyl peroxide. So far, drinking the antioxidant is the best way to benefit from its properties. Topical application in creams has not been proven as effective – so imbibe your antioxidants in wine, fruits, and veggies rather than buying expensive creams.
Drinking wine can aide depression
You know wine helps you relax…but depression? Researchers in Spain found that men and women who drank two to seven glasses of wine per week were less likely to be diagnosed with depression. Even when taking into account lifestyle factors which could influence their findings, the reduced risk held strong.
Promote healthy eyes
Resveratrol stops out-of-control blood vessel growth in the eyes, according to Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. This may help with treatment of diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration. Note that these studies were done in mice, so the dose for humans is not yet clear. But this is a great start.
Protect your pearly whites
Did you know that drinking wine is a little-known way to protect your teeth from bacteria? We mentioned wine’s antimicrobial effects on the skin. Well, it also helps reduce bacteria on our teeth. Using five of the common oral plaque-causing bacteria, scientists noted almost complete degradation of the bacteria after applying the biofilms with red wine.
Lower your cholesterol (without changing your diet)
Resveratrol is thought to reduce LDL and increase HDL, meaning that our blood vessels are less likely to be coated with plaque. Even the American Heart Association admits that moderate consumption of any type of alcohol can increase your HDL, or good cholesterol, by about 12%.
Still be cautious
Drinking wine may help improve your health, but still we should be cautious. Don’t make wine as a medicine for your illness. Wine can be consider as a supplement and be part of your healthy lifestyle.
Supplements have not proven to have the benefits of simple foods. Nature is complex, and we haven’t figured out how to put that in a bottle (and I hope we don’t). The most important thing you can do is start to look at the big picture. Think of the slow-paced life of the Mediterranean and bring a little bit of that into your life.
Savor your meal and take time to prepare a simple packed with legumes and fresh vegetables. And of course – enjoy a leisurely glass of wine without feeling guilty.
Cheryl M. Luis is the wife of George N. True II. Like her husband, she advocates health and lifestyle writing and vows to continue “Health Frontiers” as her husband’s legacy.
