Can a Glass of Red Wine a Day Keep the Doctor Away?
I’m sure you’ve all heard that drinking red wine is good for your heart, but are you still wondering why or how much you need to drink for it to benefit your health?
Before we get into the special compounds in wine that are beneficial, let’s discuss how much is necessary to benefit from these compounds. A healthy consumption of alcohol for women is 1 glass a day, and for men it is 2 glasses a day. With that being said, I know we love the new, jumbo-sized wine glasses that are being sold in your local party store, but a standard glass of wine is typically a 5-ounce pour. That’s all it takes to benefit from the properties of red wine!
Now, how can an alcoholic beverage be considered beneficial for your health?
Let’s keep in mind that red wine is still alcohol, and too much of any alcoholic beverage can lead to health problems over time. However, red wine in moderation (the amount discussed above) has been shown to have heart healthy benefits from the antioxidant properties in the wine.
Red wine is made from the pulp of red or black grapes, and is fermented (the process that produces alcohol) with the skins. Resveratrol is a compound abundant in red wine that is considered an anti-aging, anti-cancer, and anti-cardiovascular disease antioxidant and phytochemical. This all means that it will get rid of free radicals that can cause damage to your body, and likely has additional health benefits.
You can certainly find other antioxidants and phytochemicals in other plant-based foods.But if you’re looking for an explanation to give to others as to why you drink one glass of wine every night, let them know wine is part of your well-rounded diet!
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