One usually doesn’t enjoy a fine glass of Chardonnay with fried chicken and onion rings. Also alcohol raises levels of the “good” cholesterol, HDL, which provides protection against heart disease. In addition, moderate drinkers (as opposed to non-drinkers or heavy drinkers), are more likely to be at a healthy weight, get 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night and exercise Here are some interesting wine facts:
- Many believe wine is high in sugar because it is made from grapes. However, that’s not the case because the fermentation process in wine-making converts sugars into alcohol. Only sweet or dessert wines are high in sugar.
- Wine drinkers have lower cancer rates. This may be because of something called resveratrol, a substance found in the skin of grapes This is only found in red wine, though, not white, since white wine is fermented without the skin.
- The American Heart Association recommends 1-2 four-ounce servings of wine per day. Anything more than that is considered too much.
- The active ingredient in wine is ethanol, a molecule that directly affects the stomach, brain, heart, gall bladder and liver. It also affects levels of lipids and insulin in the blood.
However, not everyone is an optimum candidate for the benefits for any alcohol consumption including wine. The benefits are found to be most applicable to men and woman in their late 40’s and older. They are at high absolute risk of coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke and at low risk for injury, cirrhosis, and other alcohol-related diseases. Too much alcohol can cause premature deterioration of the liver and brain. In worst cases, alcohol plays a crucial role in the development of cancer. If you really don’t drink you are in a good health it’s probably not wise to take up drinking in hopes of benefiting from alcohol, especially if you suffer from liver disease, gastritis, or high blood pressure.
*Yoga and deep meditation has been shown to produce the same benefits as a daily glass of wine and it cost less too.