You're all aware of how beneficial a good cab or pinot noir can be to a dinner party, or alongside a rare steak, but did you know that red wine health benefits are many and varied? It's true: those commercials you always see touting the benefits of drinking a single glass of red wine each day are telling the truth. Recent scientific research is showing that the red wine health benefits are even more extensive than we thought, contributing to a boost in blood levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, providing a shield against the effects of aging on our bodies, and reducing the formation of the proteins that promote Alzheimer's disease. Drinking red wine, it seems, isn't just delicious; it's also good for us.
Omega-3 Boost
Scientists examined three groups from three different European countries, each composed of people with different eating and drinking habits. Regardless of which type of alcohol was consumed, there was an increase in omega-3 levels in the blood - but it's already widely known that all alcohol increases omega-3 viability. What was interesting is that red wine had a greater overall effect than either beer or wine, even accounting for alcohol levels. The only logical conclusion is that red wine health benefits include a boost to omega-3 levels in the blood.
Anti-Aging
Resveratrol, a minor ingredient in red wine, was shown to activate a protein called sirtuin that protects cells from its own DNA. Inside very cell are huge spools of DNA, a tiny fraction of which is in use at any given time; sirtuin keeps the rest of the DNA under control in the meantime. But when breaks occur in our chromosomes, sirtuin is dispatched to repair them. As a result, the DNA the sirtuin was guarding is left free to wreak havoc on our cells. This period of unrest, scientists believe, is when aging occurs. Drinking red wine and taking in resveratrol could mean improved levels of anti-aging sirtuin.
Anti-Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease occurs when certain toxic plaques form in the brain. These plaques are formed by proteins - proteins which are blocked by polyphenols. Polyphenols exist in red wine in large amounts, and they don't just block the formation of the plaque-forming proteins. They also reduce the toxicity of existing plaques, thus helping to prevent further cognitive degeneration. So it seems that for people already afflicted with Alzehimer's, the red wine health benefits are worth drinking a glass or two a day.
Red is best, of course, and the older the better. If you have a truly great bottle of mature wine, you'll probably want to check out this video show you how to decant a mature wine.
Mankind has been drinking wine since primal man found the first stash of fermenting grapes. Red wine remains the purest and least-processed form of mass-market alcohol, and the fact that these new red wine health benefits are being discovered should tell you that primal man had the right idea when he started drinking red wine. The aforementioned studies may not prove that red wine is the miracle cure for anything at all, but at least we're on the right track toward understanding the role it plays in our health. In the meantime, drink up!
About the Author: Mark Sisson is a former professional triathlete who runs a popular health and nutrition blog, Mark's Daily Apple. Check it out for more great articles and information on the Primal Blueprint, a revolutionary health plan using the principles of human evolution as the basis for modern, high protein, healthy living. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Sisson |
