Is red wine really good for you? For years, researchers and nutritionists have suggested red wine might be better for our bodies, hearts, and minds than virtually any other form of alcohol.
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Certain substances in red wine, such as antioxidants, can help minimize oxidative stress and even fight back against coronary artery disease.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean you should reach for a glass of red wine daily to help protect your heart. The evidence on how alcohol can benefit the heart is still inconclusive, and experts often agree the risks significantly outweigh the benefits.
Let’s examine why red wine is commonly associated with heart health and whether you should be drinking more or less of it.
1. Why is Red Wine Good for You?
The concept of red wine being good for the heart goes back several decades. In the 1980s, a set of French scientists discussed how the French had a lower incidence of death from heart disease despite eating a higher amount of saturated fat.
According to the researchers, the French were living longer due to access to red wine.
Specifically, the unique antioxidants in red wine were thought to have a positive influence on the heart. One kind of antioxidant, known as resveratrol, has been proven to have a powerful ability to prevent damage to blood vessels, as well as reduce your levels of low-density lipoproteins (bad cholesterol).
Studies also show that tannins in red wines can be perfect for heart health. Tannins are antioxidants found in the skins of grapes, which are thought to help your body fight back against inflammation and balance sugar levels.
Because red wines are fermented with grape skins longer than white wine, they offer greater access to tannins and resveratrol.
However, you don’t necessarily need to drink red wine to access these substances. Purple and red grape juices with absolutely no alcohol can still have some of the heart-healthy benefits offered by red wine.
Moreover, cranberries, blueberries, and peanuts all contain resveratrol, while various forms of tea are high in tannins.
2. Is Alcohol Good for Heart Health?
So why do some researchers think red wine might be better for your heart than a simple glass of grape juice? The common answer is that alcohol on its own could be beneficial to the heart in certain ways.
Various studies have shown that all types of alcohol can benefit the heart by raising HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) and reducing the formation of blood clots.
Alcohol can improve the function of the layer of cells responsible for lining the blood vessels, and it can help prevent artery damage caused by high levels of LDL.
Most studies suggest red wine over something like beer because there are generally fewer calories to worry about. Additionally, the tannins in red wine can provide extra health benefits, which aren’t available in all forms of alcohol.
Of course, certain forms of red wine are definitely better than others for those in search of heart-health benefits. Generally, it’s best to choose wine made from organic grapes with fewer additives and less sugar.
Additionally, it’s worth checking the wine’s contents to determine whether you’ll benefit from a higher amount of antioxidants.
3. Should You Drink Red Wine for Heart Health?
The information available on the benefits of red wine (or any alcohol) for heart health are still extremely limited. Ultimately, the negative side effects of alcohol are generally thought to outweigh far the benefits that red wine and other substances provide.
If you’re not a drinker in the first place, reaching for a glass of red wine won’t do much good for your health. Too much alcohol can increase your risk of various kinds of cancer, heart failure, stroke, liver and pancreas disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.
If you already drink and you’re looking to switch to a more heart-healthy alternative, swapping beer and other calorie-high drinks for a single glass of red wine might be a good idea.
The key to success is moderating your intake. Drinking red wine in small amounts is generally safer than drinking beverages with large amounts of sugar and additives.
While the benefits of red wine for the heart are definitely interesting, they’re not enough to make the case that starting to drink regularly is a good idea. Ultimately, the best thing you can do for your heart is to live a healthy lifestyle with the proper diet and plenty of exercise.
