health benefits of wine

Wine has been a trendy subject in the media (especially with the health industry), but does it really have those benefits that the experts say it does?

The Building Blocks of Wine

Red wine is made from purple grapes where as white wine is not necessarily made from white grapes.

Numerous white wines are produced with purple grapes that have there skins removed. The skin of grapes is what contains the most bioflavonoids, phenols, tannins, and other healthy components that make wine at the top of the health scale.

On the calorie side of things, 4 ounces (120 ml) of red wine has about 80-90 calories while its partner in crime, white wine, has about 75-85 calories.

Does Wine Help Your Heart?

There has been dozens of studies done on wine and what it can do for your health.

Most studies conclude that drinking a moderate amount of wine (120 ml) a day (with a meal) can lower your risk of heart disease.

It hasn’t been proven yet if drinking wine can help prevent heart attacks, but there’s a theory.

A handful of researchers think that some of the compounds found in wine – quercetin, resveratrol, and bioflavonoids might be responsible.

Their theory is that by drinking a moderate of amount of wine with your meals, the compounds in the wine make your blood less sticky, which will decrease the risk of your blood clotting or clots even forming.

More Benefits of Wine

Currently there are studies going on to see if drinking wine regularly can prevent different types of cancers, including colon and prostate cancer.

In addition, studies have been conducted to see if the pigments in wine can fight viruses – but it hasn’t been proven in humans yet.

The Ugly Side of Wine

The biggest mistake many people make is that they over consume wine. At the point of drinking more than 8 oz (240 ml) a day you lose most of the benefits including decreasing the risk of cancer.

Once you drink more than 8 oz (240 ml) a day you increase your risk of obesity, stroke, breast cancer, high blood pressure, alcoholism, cirrhosis, and other liver disorders.