Cheers to Your Health

In the 1990's a study was done to determine why the French, whose diet is so high in saturated fats and cholesterol, have such low heart disease rates, the "French Paradox".  

The findings? It's their moderate and steady intake of wine. Long after the discovery that the French were absurdly beating health odds, tons of research in support of wine drinking for good health continued to surface.

Check out some of the most recent studies that boast the health benefits of wine:

Overall Health Benefits:

• Anti-aging effects in red grape skins (Harvard Medical School in Boston, 2004)

Lung Health Benefits:

• Improved lung function from antioxidants in white wine (American Thoracic Society, 2002)

Heart Health Benefits:

• Coronary heart disease reduced (University of California, Davis, 1995)

• Healthier blood vessels in elderly (University of Ferrara in Italy, 2004)

Ulcer Prevention:

• Ulcer-causing bacteria reduced (American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2003)

Cancer Prevention:

• Cancer cells killed by protein in red grape skins (University of Virginia Health System, 2004)

Stroke Prevention:

• Arteries kept clean by polyphenols in red grape skins (William Harvey Research Institute, 2002)

Women’s Health Benefits:

• Decreased ovarian cancer risk (The Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia, 2004)

• Stronger bones (Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, St. Thomas’ Hospital in London, 2004)

• Lower risk of stroke (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001)

Men’s Health Benefits:

• Lower risk of heart attack for men with high blood pressure (Worcester Medical Center in Massachusetts, 2004)

So “What’s the catch?” you ask. Well, the catch is simple moderation. Most of these studies promote drinking in moderation in order to achieve the blissful health benefits of wine drinking.

And what’s moderation? Well, moderation is defined as a glass or two each day, and no, you can’t save them up all week and drink all of them on the weekend.

In fact, too much wine per day or per week can lead to negative health effects in many cases and rather than prevent disease, you’ll actually up your odds of acquiring such diseases.