Many people believe that a glass of red wine is one impressive and effective way to de-stress after a long, busy day. What many people do not know is that there are many other health red wine benefits, so long as you drink in moderation. It is good for your heart, helps reduce stress, and controls your waistline as well. Let's find out more about it.
Benefits of Red Wine
Your red-wine habit can actually help you enjoy better health. Of course, you need to drink in moderation.
1. It Lowers Cholesterol Levels
Certain red wines are made from high fiber Tempranillo red grapes and help control your blood cholesterol levels. Some studies show that even supplementing with the same grapes found in red wine may help lower bad cholesterol levels by 9% or more. Lowering bad cholesterol levels is important to protect your arteries from damage. Bad cholesterol can accumulate in your arteries and form plaque that not only increases your blood pressure but also increases your risk of heart attack.
2. It Controls Blood Sugar Levels
Made from red grapes, red wine includes a compound called resveratrol that regulates blood sugar levels. Some studies have found that taking 250mg of resveratrol in supplement form may lower blood sugar levels in three months only. You may also notice a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol levels. Resveratrol works by stimulating insulin secretion and making your body more sensitive to this hormone.
3. It Improves Brain Health
One of many benefits of red wine is that it helps keep your brain healthy. Some studies have found that regular intake of red wine keeps your memory sharp and lowers risk of Alzheimer's disease and other mental disorders. It contains certain compounds that may inhibit the formation of beta-amyloid protein, which is responsible for brain damage in people suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
4. It Boosts Your Immune System
Red wine contains many compounds and antioxidants that help boost your immune system. Antioxidants prevent oxidative damage and keep you healthy. With a stronger immune system, you will be in a better position to deal with infections. Those antioxidants also protect your body against cellular damage and lower your risk of developing cancer.
5. It Helps Lose Weight
You can include red wine in your diet to aid fat loss. Those weight loss benefits come from a compound called resveratrol. The compound works by inhibiting the growth of fat cells. It also improves insulin sensitivity in the body and helps you burn fat more effectively. It also plays a role in blocking the pathways essential for immature cells to grow into mature cells.
6. It Prevents Tooth Decay
One of many benefits of red wine is that it helps keep your teeth healthy. Regular intake of red wine will harden your enamel that protects your teeth from bacteria. This will lower your risk of developing tooth decay. It is also effective against gum inflammation mainly because it contains polyphenols.
7. It Improves the Quality of Sleep
Moderate intake of red wine may help you sleep better at night. It works mainly because it contains melatonin, which helps you sleep peacefully. Do not drink too much or too often to improve your sleep quality. There can be other underlying causes of you facing sleeplessness.
8. It Improves Your Skin
Again, red wine can help improve your skin by providing you with all-important antioxidants. These antioxidants eliminate free radicals from your body that damage your skin. These antioxidants can also protect you against wrinkles and fine lines. Thank to those antioxidants, you can also drink red wine and protect yourself from type-2 diabetes. It is equally beneficial against osteoporosis and other bone related diseases.
9. It Improves Your Cardiovascular Health
You already know that red wine can lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels that will help your heart indirectly. However, it is also a good idea to drink red wine because it contains saponins and flavonoids that protect you against cardiovascular disease. There is also some alcohol in red wine that improves levels of good cholesterol and lowers your risk of developing blood clots in the arteries.
10. Other Benefits
In addition, you will also experience many other benefits of red wine, especially when you drink in moderation. For instance:
- It lowers your risk of dementia. Just be sure to drink no more than 2 glasses of wine per day to notice those benefits.
- It lowers risk of depression, especially in elderly people. Studies show that elderly people who drink 2-7 glasses of wine per week are less likely to suffer from clinical depression.
- It lowers risk of type-2 diabetes and reduces insulin resistance in the body.
How Much Red Wine to Drink for Health Benefits
It is true that there are benefits of red wine, but you also need to know that it contains alcohol and too much of alcohol can cause several problems. Therefore, it is important to know how much to drink. Here, it is important to note that you should not include red wine in your diet if you do not already drink alcohol. There are many better ways to enjoy the benefits associated with red wine.
If you want to include red wine in your diet, be sure to drink in moderation. Women should not have more than one drink per day, whereas men should limit it to two drinks per day. Keep in mind that one drink equals 5 ounces of wine. So, do not exceed these guidelines or else you may end up experiencing negative effects.