Health & Fitness

With contradictory studies about red wine's benefits, many wine drinkers are confused — so we've gone to an expert to get the scoop.

 

Enjoy unwinding at the end of the day with a glass of wine? While there is no doubt that drinking wine (or any alcoholic beverage) in excess can adversely affect your health, career, and social relationships, there is evidence that moderate consumption of wine may have significant health benefits. Great, right? However, some health professionals continue to warn against the dangers of alcohol consumption, making it hard to piece together the real story about wine, your health, and longevity.
Much of the interest in wine, and red wine in particular, has to do with its antioxidants. Known as polyphenols, they are thought to protect your body's cells and tissues against damage that can lead to the development of diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Here is what we know so far about polyphenols.
3 Documented Benefits of Red Wine
For years, researchers have been investigating the effects of drinking red wine, along with how much is enough and how much is too much. Among the health benefits that have been associated with wine are:

• Reduced risk of death. People who drink moderate amounts of alcohol, particularly red wine, are less likely to die from any cause during any specified time period than non-drinkers. Why red wine? The polyphenols in wine primarily come from the colored skins of grapes, so red wine tends to have a greater concentration of polyphenols than white wine, according to Georges Halpern, MD, PhD, distinguished professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and a researcher who has studied the health benefits of wine. "It seems that these substances in higher concentration have a better protective effect on the cardiovascular system and possibly other systems," says Dr. Halpern.
• Decreased risk of heart disease. Moderate consumption of red wine has been associated with a reduced risk of dying from heart disease. That may be due in part to the fact that alcohol has been shown to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good" cholesterol. Red wine benefits may also include the reduced risk of blood clotting, which can lower your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
• Protection from certain cancers. Laboratory studies have found that the antioxidant compounds in wine may block the formation of cancers and slow the growth of cancerous tumors. One recent study found that alcohol consumption was associated with a decreased risk of thyroid cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and renal cancer.

Researchers are also conducting studies to determine whether red wine benefits might include prevention of other diseases and conditions — such as age-related brain changes and diabetes.