Benefits of Drinking Wine

Benefits of Drinking Wine

Since 1991 there have been hundreds of reports providing strong evidence proving the health benefits of drinking red wine. Most studies suggest two 4-ounce glasses per day is enough to lower the risk of heart attack, lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood, decrease the risk of heart disease and even decrease the risk of some forms of cancer.

Wine can improve digestion, promote relaxation and helps foster a good mood. Another of the red wine health benefits is wine's ability to increase the body's absorption of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. All these important minerals help prevent osteoporosis - another great red wine benefit. Red wine also contains iron, a necessary mineral for oxygen transport in the body. Thus drinking red wine helps deliver the iron necessary (10 mg per day for men, 15 mg per day for women) and it's non-heme iron, which is different than the kind in meat (and Cheerios).

The April 2009 Issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition conducted a study of 2,700 people and their alcohol habits. What they found was that men who had one to two drinks per day had 4 percent more bone density than those who had none. Women had 5 to 8 percent denser bones. Beyond two glasses a day though, the bone strength diminished. The study also proved that beer and wine far outweighed the benefits of other alcohol. 

Other benefits of drinking wine

1.      Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

The Evidence: Moderate drinkers have 30 percent less risk than nondrinkers of developing type 2 diabetes. Source: research on 369,862 individuals studied over an average of 12 years each, at Amsterdam's VU University Medical Center, published in Diabetes Care, 2005.

2.      Lowers Risk of Stroke

The Evidence: The possibility of suffering a blood clot–related stroke drops by about 50 percent in people who consume moderate amounts of alcohol. Source: a Columbia University study of 3,176 individuals over an eight-year period, published in Stroke, 2006.

3.      Cuts Risk of Cataracts

The Evidence: 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.

4.      Cuts Risk of Colon Cancer

The Evidence: Moderate consumption of wine (especially red) cuts the risk of colon cancer by 45 percent. Source: a Stony Brook University study of 2,291 individuals over a four-year period, published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2005.

5.      Slows Brain Decline

The Evidence: Brain function declines at a markedly faster rate in nondrinkers than in moderate drinkers. Source: a Columbia University study of 1,416 people, published in Neuroepidemiology, 2006.

6.      Promotes longevity

The evidence: wine drinkers have 34 percent lower mortality rate than beer or spirit drinkers. Source: a Finnish study of 2,468 men over 29-year period, published in the journals of gerontology, 2007

7.      Reduces heart attack risk

The evidence: moderate drinkers suffering from high blood pressure are percent less likely to have a heart attack than non drinkers, source: a 16 year Harvard School of Public Health study of 11,711 men, published in annals of internal medicine, 2007.

8.      Lowers risk of Heart Disease

Red wine tannins contain procyanidins, which protect against heart disease. Source: a study at queen Mary University in London, Published in Nature, 2006.