Is There a Link Between Red Wine and Heart Disease?

If you enjoy a glass of red wine with your meal,  then what I am about to share with you is going to be great news.  According to researchers, something in the red wine appears to have promising heart healthy benefits. They are not sure yet whether the antioxidants flavonoids or a substance in the red wine resveratrol play a role. On the other hand, there are also studies suggesting that the antioxidants in red wine also known as poly phenols help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart.

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What are flavonoids? These are antioxidants and they are found in a variety of fruits such as oranges, grape juice, apples, tea and cola. Flavonoids are found in white wine, but higher levels are found in red wine. Furthermore, resveratrol might be a key ingredient in preventing blood clots, vessel damage and reducing bad cholesterol.  The resveratrol in red wine comes from the skin of grapes used to make wine. If you already drink red wine, continue drinking but in moderation. As defined by researchers, moderation is two glasses of red wine daily for men and one glass for women. On the other hand, drinking too much alcohol increases your risk of high blood pressure, cancer, obesity. The American Heart Association advises people not to start drinking if they don’t already drink alcohol. For those prone to migraine headache, just a glass of red wine can trigger the excruciating pain, which is why it is important to only drink to a minimum. Although not enough evidence has been established yet, the heart health benefits of drinking wine look favorable.

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Dr Roger Cord er, from the William Harvey Research Institute at St Bar ts, said: “What we are proposing is the mechanism that could explain why red wine is a better alcoholic beverage to consume than others.

“If you consume one glass of red wine and you have a good absorption of the active principle, that would be more than adequate.”