Wine An Ingredient In A Healthy Lifestyle

Moderate consumption of wine, meaning one to two glasses per day, may actually be good for your health according to Dr. Curtis Ellison, Chief of Preventive Medicine at Boston University (Moderate Wine Consumption and Health: A Scientific Perspective). Historically, wine has been recommended by physicians for treatment of iron deficiency anemia, to help vegetarians increase their mineral absorption, and to help reduce the incidence of troublesome sleep disorders. The traditional use of wine with meals offers many benefits including aiding the digestive process, stimulating the intake of nutrients and helping reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing cholesterol.

You may have heard the term "French Paradox" which refers to the fact that per capita alcohol consumption in the form of wine, and saturated fat intake in France are very high, but levels of coronary heart disease in the nation are relatively low. Researchers have discovered that one reason for the low rate of coronary heart disease is the presence of phenolic compounds such as "resveratrol" in wine, especially red wine. Studies show that resveratrol lowers LDL cholesterol (the so-called "bad") while elevating HDL cholesterol levels (the good cholesterol) which helps to clear arterial walls of harmful deposits. (Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry Experimental Station, Vol. 58, No. 2).

Dr. Arthur Klatsky, chief of the Division of Cardiology at the Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente Medical group monitored 8000 people for 10 years. The results (published in Alcohol and Mortality: A New, Prospective Kaiser Permanente Study, Annals of Internal Medicine, 117, 1992) showed that people who drink one or two glasses of wine per day live longer and are less likely to die from all causes than either abstainers or heavy drinkers. No one should consume alcohol and operate a motor vehicle or machinery, and people with problematic drinking in their family histories should likewise stay away from alcohol.

Indeed, scientific researchers repeatedly have found that moderate daily wine consumption actually appears to be more beneficial than either zero consumption or over-consumption. A healthy lifestyle also includes regular exercise and a diet which is low in fat and high in fresh fruit, vegetables, and grains. A glass of wine can be both pleasurable and relaxing and has a favorable influence on mood and sociability, some important ingredients of well-being.