Natural Health Alternative Blog

I recently had the pleasure of dining out with a couple that my wife and I have known for years. I noticed that “Jane” was drinking red wine, which is completely out of character for her. The few times I’ve noticed Jane drinking wine, it was white wine only. In fact, she complained of an “after taste” with red wines and the fact that she doesn’t like to drink anything at room temperature.

Jane is easily susceptible to anything fad related (i.e., diets, exercise equipment, fashion, etc.), so it came as absolutely no surprise that Jane had recently read an article about the benefits of red wine to one’s health, specifically, lowering heart disease.

I’ve known for years about studies and research related to red wine and there is, in fact, a basis for my friend’s claims. Studies have shown that those drinking red wine in moderation (one glass of wine per day for women and two glasses for men because they tend to weigh more and have more of the enzymes that metabolize the alcohol than women).

There have been specific studies of Mediterranean countries in which those in the study ate a high fat diet but had very low LDL (bad) cholesterol, higher levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and lower blood pressure. Why was this? Findings suggested that the participants in the study all drank red wine on a regular basis.

Researchers think that there are two antioxidants in the seeds and skin of the red wine grape – resveratrol and flavonoids. Unlike white wine, red wine is fermented with the skin and seeds and therefore the red wine retains more of these antioxidants.

It is believed that resveratrol raises HDL cholesterol, which in turn helps to prevent blood clotting. Flavonoids also prevent blood clots but also help to prevent plaque from forming in arteries.

Recent studies focused on white wine and other types of alcohol have started to produce similar results. In fact, one study suggested that the molecules in white wine are smaller than in red wine, and can be more easily absorbed.

This is all very fascinating but what is of even more fascination to me is how excited we all get when we read promising research on the newly discovered benefits of bad habits. It’s like the study about smoking cigarettes and the belief that it may prevent Parkinson’s disease – great, but where’s the research on the cancer or emphysema that replaced the Parkinson’s?

Once again, it boils down to moderation. Yes, there is definitely evidence that wine (especially red wine) can produce heart healthy benefits including lowering blood pressure. Every promising research article I read, however, stated that alcohol is addictive and that drinking to excess caused much more devastating health effects than the benefits of drinking one to two glasses per day.

Drinking to excess can lead to obesity (due to the empty calories), increase high blood pressure and damage major organs like the heart and liver. If you don’t already drink alcohol, experts suggest that it’s healthier for you if you don’t start. If you drink in moderation, stick with that.

If you have high blood pressure and are considering taking up red wine to lower your blood pressure, please let me first suggest my High Blood Pressure program. The results are achieved through all natural, non invasive means. The results have been amazing for my clients – all of whom wanted to lower their blood pressure without medication, or alcohol. I also recommend my Weight Loss Breeze Program if you need to achieve a healthy weight.

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