Red wine, is it really beneficial for the health?

The answer is complicated. It is true that wine can make wonders in your mood and science suggests that it may be beneficial for our heart, your brain and your muscles, and even have properties that help you fight against cancer.

We are not doctors but we know you are interested, so we have compiled a few interesting studies about wine for you to evaluate for yourself.

Red wine benefits for the health

• Strengthens the bones. A study by Tufts University in Boston (USA) with more than 2,400 participants showed that women who drink wine are less likely to lose bone mass than women who do not drink wine due to the positive effect on bone mineral density, in the case of both wine and beer.

• Reduce cardiac risk. A study by Harvard University (USA) clearly determined that those who consume wine in moderate doses are 30% less likely to suffer from a heart attack.

• Antibacterial. Both red and white wine have antibacterial properties. This was demonstrated by the study conducted by expert Martin E. Weisse of West Virginia University (USA) that shows that wine may reduce bacteria from food, protecting the human body.

• Prevents blindness. Red wine can stop the growth of control blood vessels in the eye (angiogenesis) that causes blindness, according to a study done by a team of researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (USA). ) and published in the American Journal of Pathology. The compound may be found in wine and protects our vision is resveratrol.

• Help against depression. A team of scientists formed by several Spanish universities concluded that drinking wine may reduce the risk of depression. They found that drinking between 6 or 7 glasses of wine per week, you were less prone to be diagnosed with depression, even taking into account lifestyle factors.

• Reduces cholesterol. Several studies have shown that a glass of wine a day decreases the concentration of atherogenic plaques in the arteries and increases levels of HDL or good cholesterol, which improves cardiovascular health.

The wine contains a multitude of substances diluted in approximately 14 parts of alcohol by 86 of water in addition to various minerals. These substances include polyphenols, which are natural antioxidants believed to be able to intervene in the fixation of the free radicals of bad cholesterol, making it less soluble and therefore preventing its intestinal absorption and its passage to the blood, preventing it from accumulating in the arteries. In addition the alcohol, due to its high volatility condition, once in the blood acts as an arterial dilator, expanding the radius of the artery and therefore facilitating blood circulation.

• Protects against sunburn. Wine and grape derivatives may help reduce the harmful effects of UV (ultraviolet) rays according to an article by the University of Barcelona (Spain) and published in The Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry. The study explains that wine and grapes flavonoids inhibit the formation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) that damage skin cells.

• It decreases the chances of colon cancer. Scientists from the University of Leicester (United Kingdom) explained at the 2nd International Scientific Conference on resveratrol and health that moderate consumption of red wine on a regular basis can reduce the rate of intestinal tumors by approximately 50%.

• It prevents from dementia. A team of scientists from Loyola University Medical Center (USA) found that moderate consumption of red wine can reduce the risk of developing dementia. The studies showed a significantly lower risk of dementia among regular and moderate red wine drinkers in 14 different countries. This study was published in The Journal of Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment.

• Prevents from breast cancer. Drinking any type of alcoholic beverage increases the risk of breast cancer. However, the consumption of red wine has the opposite effect according to a study by the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles (USA) and collected in the Journal of Women's Health. The reason is that chemicals in the skin and seeds of red grapes reduce estrogen levels and increase testosterone levels in premenopausal women, which translates into a lower risk of developing breast cancer.

Red wine contraindications

So far we have listed the benefits, on the opposite side, we find the following arguments:

• It is true that polyphenols may be beneficial for the heart, but the amount gotten in red wine is actually very small compared to that you would get from consuming from five to nine fruits and vegetables per day.

• A research published in JAMA Internal Medicine states that most studies about the benefits of resveratrol have been conducted in animals using high doses, so scientists are not entirely sure how it affects to humans who consume it in natural amounts . (The amount equivalent to the high doses administered to animals is equivalent of consuming from 8 to 10 bottles of red wine per night).

• A meta analysis of more than 200 oncological publications in the Annals of Oncology, ensured the relation between various cancers and alcohol intake. According to it, alcohol intake triples the risk of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, aesophagus and breast. The first three may be caused by the contact of the organs with alcohol and the fourth because of the rise in estrogen caused by alcoholic beverages.

Who do shall believe then?

Well, in the absence of conclusive new studies for or against, there are things that today, we can say:

• Alcohol increases the risk of suffering from certain cancers.

• A small glass of wine daily during meals is good a certain age to prevent the risk of cardiovascular problems. For example, it is highly recommended starting at age 50, especially in women (except contraindications).

• White wine has the same positive effects as red wine.

• There is no evidence that resveratrol is useful for anything at the doses in which it is ingested in wine.

We hope we have helped you to know how wine influences your health. Enjoy it, and above all remember to consume moderately.