A glass of wine is a treat to which you might look forward to after a long day at work. Rather than feel guilty about sneaking a glass of wine with your dinner, scientific studies show that you should embrace it and even make it a part of your nightly routine. You can pour yourself a glass of your favorite red or white wine with confidence after learning what health benefits both wines can offer.
The Health Benefits of Wine
Universities across the U.S. and in countries like Spain and Israel have studied the health benefits of wine at length. Studies have concluded that drinking a moderate amount of wine each day can offer health benefits that could improve your overall wellness and length of life.
In fact, the benefits of drinking wine ranges from decreased mortality to the ability to fight off several types of cancer. With that, scientists agree that there is no harm for most people in consuming a moderate amount of wine on a daily basis.
However, what constitutes a moderate amount and how can you know if you are drinking too much? Scientists agree that a moderate serving of wine is no more than five ounces. Men can consume two five-ounce servings per day to reap the most benefits from wine while women can drink one five-ounce serving.
As when consuming most foods and beverages, caution is needed when adding wine to your daily menu. While one or two glasses per day can boost your overall health, drinking too much can have the opposite effect on your wellness. You should avoid drinking so much wine that you actually impair rather than improve your health.
The Health Benefits of Red Wine
Scientists across the globe have studied at length the benefits of drinking red wine. Red wine is full of beneficial agents called phenol that boost your health in a number of critical ways. It also contains resveratrol, which is found in the skin of red grapes used to make red wine. Resveratrol and phenols both work together to improve your health in a number of critical ways.
For example, people who drink one or two glasses of red wine per day often enjoy better immunity than people who do not consume red wine. The phenols contain antioxidants that fight free radicals in your bloodstream. They attack infectious agents that could cause sickness in your body and help your immune system work better.
Likewise, red wine contains silicone, which is good for bone density. People who consume a moderate amount of red wine each day have a decreased chance of suffering from osteoporosis or a thinning of the bones. Scientific evidence suggests that a glass of red wine can be just as beneficial to bone health as a glass of fresh milk.
Finally, the phenols in red wine act as a blood thinner, which can reduce a person’s chances of suffering a stroke or heart attack. Alternatively, consuming too much red wine can have the opposite effect and actually cause the formation of clots that can lead to either illness.
The Health Benefits of White Wine
Fewer studies have been done to identify the health benefits of white wine. However, those that have been conducted have zeroed in on qualities that could make white wine just as beneficial to people’s health as red wine.
Primarily, scientific evidence suggests that white wine is effective in prolonging a person’s life. Like red wine, it contains resveratrol from grape skins. The protein from the resveratrol acts as an anti-aging element and increases a person’s longevity as well as bolsters his or her overall health.
White wine also contains antioxidants that fight cancer. The antioxidants are effective in targeting free radicals that cause cancerous growths in the body. Studies suggest that drinking a moderate amount of white wine each day could lower a person’s chances of developing colon cancer, cancer of the stomach and liver, and other forms of cancer.
Finally, the studies on white wine suggest that it is just as if not more effective at lowering cholesterol than consuming beverages like tap or mineral water. One study examined the results of white wine drinkers’ cholesterol versus the cholesterol of people who consumed just mineral or tap water. The wine drinkers had lower cholesterol readings than people who drank water during the study.
Red and white wine both offer health benefits not found with other types of beverages. Scientists agree that drinking a moderate amount of either can boost your overall wellness and help you feel better. It is critical that you do not drink too much of either if you want to avoid adverse health side effects that come from consuming excessive amounts of alcohol.