Red Wine

RED WINE

Wine is an alcoholic beverage prepared by fermenting grapes. Wine, and especially red wine, has been studied extensively. Evidence suggests that moderate consumption may help people live longer, protect against certain cancers, improve mental health, and enhance heart health.

Centuries ago, wine was used treat various health conditions. Medieval monasteries were convinced that their monks lived longer than the rest of the population partly because of their moderate, regular consumption of wine. In recent years, science has indicated that this could be true.

Wine is used for preventing diseases of the heart and circulatory system, including coronary heart disease, “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis), heart failure, heart attack, and stroke. Wine is also used for preventing decline of thinking skills in later life, Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes.

Some people use wine to reduce anxiety, stimulate the appetite, and improve digestion by increasing stomach acids.

Wine is sometimes applied directly to the skin to improve wound healing and resolve the small nodules near joints that sometimes occur with rheumatoid arthritis.

How does it work?

Wine contains ethanol (alcohol), which blocks various nerve pathways in the brain. It also contains chemicals that might have beneficial effects on the heart and blood circulation such as antioxidant effects, and preventing blood platelets from forming clots.

How is wine manufactured?

Types of red wine

• ·         Cabernet Franc.
• ·         Cabernet Sauvignon.
• ·         Gamay.
• ·         Grenache/Garnacha.
• ·         Malbec.
• ·         Merlot.
• ·         Mourvèdre/Mataro.
• ·         Nebbiolo.

Benefits

Red wine contains resveratrol, which appears to have a number of health benefits.

Research indicates that red wine can boost a range of health factors.

Several of these are based on the presence of resveratrol, a compound that is believed to offer a number of benefits.

Resveratrol is a compound that some plants produce to fight off bacteria and fungi, and to protect against ultraviolet (UV) irradiation.

The resveratrol in wine comes from the skins of red grapes. Blueberries, cranberries, and peanuts are also sources of resveratrol, and it is available in supplement form.

Evidence suggests that in some forms, resveratrol may boost cardiovascular health, protect against cancer, and help treat acne, among others.

Red wine contains resveratrol, but it may not be the best way to consume it, because the intake of alcohol brings it own risks.

Dosing

Alcohol intake is often measured in number of "drinks." One drink is equivalent to a 4 oz or a 120 mL glass of wine, 12 oz of beer, or 1 oz of spirits.



The following doses have been studied in scientific research:

BY MOUTH:

• For reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke: 1-2 drinks (120-240 mL) per day.
• For reducing the risk of heart failure: up to four drinks of wine per day.
• For reducing loss of thinking skills in older men: up to one drink per day.
• For reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes in healthy men: between two drinks per week and three or four drinks per day.
• For reducing the risk of heart disease in people with type 2 diabetes: up to seven drinks per week.
• For reducing the risk of infection with the ulcer-causing bacteria called Helicobacter pylori: more than 75 grams of alcohol from beverages such as wine.

Uses and effectiveness:

• Preventing diseases of the heart and circulatory system, such as heart attack, stroke, “hardening of the arteries” (atherosclerosis), and chest pain (angina). There is some evidence that drinking alcohol can benefit the heart. Drinking one alcoholic beverage per day or drinking alcohol on at least 3 to 4 days per week is a good rule of thumb for people who drink alcohol. But don’t drink more than 2 drinks per day. More than two drinks daily can increase the risk of over-all death as well as dying from heart disease. Here is what researchers have found:

1. Drinking alcoholic beverages, including wine, by healthy people seems to reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Moderate alcohol use (one to two drinks per day) reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis, and heart attack by approximately 30% to 50% when compared with nondrinkers.
2. Light to moderate alcohol (one to two drinks per day) use reduces the risk of having the type of stroke that is caused by a clot in the blood vessel (ischemic stroke), but increases the risk of having the type of stroke caused by a broken blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke).
3. Light to moderate alcohol consumption (one to two drinks per day) in the year before a first heart attack is associated with a reduced cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risk compared with non-drinkers.
4. In men with established coronary heart disease, consumption of 1-14 alcoholic drinks per week, including wine, doesn't seem to have any effect on heart disease or all-cause mortality compared with men who drink less than one drink per week. Drinking three or more drinks per day is associated with increased likelihood of death in men with a history of heart attacks.

• Reducing the risk of dying from heart disease and stroke and other causes.There is some evidence that light to moderate consumption of alcoholic drinks can reduce the risk of all-cause death in people who are middle-aged and older.

1. Maintaining thinking skills with aging. Elderly men who have a history of drinking one alcoholic drink per day seem to maintain better general thinking ability during their late 70s and 80s compared to non-drinkers. However, drinking more than four alcoholic drinks per day during middle age seems to be linked with significantly poorer thinking ability later in life.
2. Preventing congestive heart failure (CHF). There is some evidence that consuming one to four alcoholic drinks per day reduces the risk of heart failure in people aged 65 years or older.
3. Preventing diabetes (type 2) and heart disease in people with diabetes.People who drink alcohol, including wine, in moderate amounts seem to have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. People with diabetes who consume alcohol in moderate amounts seem to have a reduced risk of coronary heart disease compared with non-drinkers with type 2 diabetes. The risk reduction is similar to that found in healthy people who consume light to moderate amounts of alcohol.
4. Preventing ulcers caused by a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori. There is some evidence that moderate to high consumption of alcohol (more than 75 grams) per week from beverages such as beer and wine can reduce the risk of H. pylori infection.

Side effects and safety:

• Wine is LIKELY SAFE for most adults when no more than 2 five-ounce glasses are drunk per day. Avoid higher amounts. Larger amounts can cause flushing, confusion, blackouts, trouble walking, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, and other serious problems.
• Long-term use of large amounts of wine causes many serious health problems including dependence, mental problems, heart problems, liver problems, pancreas problems, and certain types of cancer.

Special Precautions and Warnings:

• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Alcohol is UNSAFE to drink during pregnancy. It can cause birth defects and other serious harm to the unborn infant. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy, especially during the first two months, is associated with significant risk of miscarriage, fetal alcohol syndrome, as well as developmental and behavioral disorders after birth. Don’t drink alcohol if you are pregnant.
• Don’t drink alcohol if you are breast-feeding. Alcohol passes into breast milk and can cause abnormal development of skills that involve both mental and muscular coordination, such as the ability to turn over. Alcohol can also disturb the infant’s sleep pattern. Alcohol also seems to reduce milk production.
• Asthma: Drinking wine has been linked with triggering asthma attacks. This may be due to salicylates in the wine and/or nitrites that have been added.
• Gout: Using alcohol can make gout worse.
• Heart conditions: While there is some evidence that drinking wine in moderation might help to prevent congestive heart failure, wine is harmful when used by someone who already has this condition. Using alcohol can make chest pain and congestive heart failure worse.
• High blood pressure: Drinking three or more alcoholic drinks per day can increase blood pressure and make high blood pressure worse.
• High levels of blood fats called triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia): Drinking alcohol can make this condition worse.
• Trouble sleeping (insomnia): Drinking alcohol can make insomnia worse.
• Liver disease: Drinking alcohol can make liver disease worse.
• Neurological conditions: Drinking alcohol can make certain disorders of the nervous system worse.
• A condition of the pancreas called pancreatitis: Drinking alcohol can make pancreatitis worse.
• Stomach ulcers or a type of heartburn called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Drinking alcohol can make these conditions worse.
• A blood condition called porphyria: Alcohol use can make porphyria worse.
• Mental problems: Drinking three or more drinks of alcohol per day can make mental problems worse and reduce thinking skills.
• Surgery: Wine can slow down the central nervous system. There is a concern that combining wine with anesthesia and other medications used during and after surgery might slow the central nervous system down too much. Stop drinking wine at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

Red or white wine?

Resveratrol appears to underlie many of the health benefits of red wine. Red wine contains more resveratrol than white wine, because it is fermented with the skins, but white wine is not. Most of the resveratrol in grapes is in the seeds and skin.

Non-alcoholic red wines may also include beneficial amounts of resveratrol. Other good sources are grapes, blueberries, raspberries, bilberries, and peanuts.

Cautions

Wine consumption may have some health benefits, but drinking too much of any kind of alcoholic drink increases the risk of:
addiction
depression
mental health problems
cardiomyopathy
arrhythmias
stroke
hypertension
fatty liver
alcoholic hepatitis
cirrhosis
several cancers
pancreatitis

Fascinating Facts About Red Wine

1. Drinking red wine in small doses is better for you than not drinking at all!

It might come as a surprise, but several human trial studies have shown moderate red wine consumption to be better for you than not drinking at all. Why? The antioxidants found in red wine lower incidences of cardiovascular disease, mortality, and type-2 diabetes. Of course, if you drink more than you’re supposed to, the benefits are replaced by increased health risks. So, do yourself a favor, drink red wine in moderation.

2. Red wine’s health benefits come from tannin.

Pretty much everything in wine that’s not alcohol or water is a type of polyphenol. Polyphenols include tannin, color pigment, wine aromas, resveratrol, and about 5,000 other plant compounds. Of these polyphenols, the most abundant in wine for health reasons are Procyanidins, which are a type of condensed tannin also found in green tea and dark chocolate. This compound is specifically associated with inhibiting cholesterol plaque in blood vessels, which is highly beneficial to heart health and longevity.

3. Some red wines are better for you than others.

Not all red wines are made the same. Some wines have significantly higher levels of “good for you stuff” than others (condensed tannins–see above). For example, Cabernet Sauvignon has more condensed tannins than Pinot Noir, but both wines have much less than Tannat, Petite Sirah, or Sagrantino. While it’s rather difficult to determine which wines are best (exactly), here are some clues:

1.      Dry red wines are better than sweet wines.

2.      Red wines with lower alcohol (preferably below 13% ABV) are better than high alcohol wines

3.      Red wines with higher tannin (those that are more astringent) are better than low tannin wines.

4. Young red wines are better for you than old red wines.

We’ve been told for years that old wines are the best wines. It’s true that some wines taste better when well-aged, but when it comes to the health aspects of wine, old wine isn’t as good! Young red wines contain greater tannin levels than any other type of wine.

5. The color in red wine comes from the grape skins.

The color in wine comes from a plant pigment called anthocyanin, which is found in the skins of red grapes.

6. As red wines age, they become lighter in color.

The color becomes less intense as wine ages. Very old wines are pale and translucent in color.

7. Nearly all red wines are made from one species of grape.

All of the most common red wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, and Pinot Noir are of just one species of grape: Vitis vinifera. There are certainly other species used for wine (there are some 65-70 vitis species), but they are very rarely used for wine. Vitis vinifera is commonly considered thewine grape species. And, get this, Vitis vinifera didn’t originate in France. It came from Eastern Europe!

8. Red grapes are older than white wine grapes.

The yellow and green-colored grapes that produce white wines are thought to have originally come from a DNA mutation of red grapevines. This is a pretty convincing hypothesis, since Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc share the same DNA.

9. Red wines commonly contain less sulfites than white wines.

In general, sulfite levels in red wines are lower than white wines. This is because red wines tend to be more chemically stable than white wines and do not degrade as quickly.

10. Red wines age longer than white wines.

Red wines contain color and tannin, which generally speaking, helps preserve them for greater lengths than white wines. People often call these traits in wine “structure” and use their presence as an indicator of how long a wine will age.

11. Red wine grapes can be made into white wine.

Because the color comes from grape skins (and not the juice), it’s possible to make a white wine out of red grapes. The wine is made like white wine, without contact with the grape skins. This happens more than you might imagine. For example, a Blanc de Noirs Champagne is a white sparkling wine made with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (red) grapes.

12. Hundreds of aromas found in red wine come from just grapes.

All those aromas of cherry, berry, jam, and herbs found in a glass of red wine are derived from nothing more than fermented grapes and the aging wine in oak barrels. There are no flavor additives.

BENEFITS OF RED WINE:

1. Gut microbiome and cardiovascular health

Resveratrol may improve heart health in various ways. In 2016, researchers suggested that it could reduce the risk of heart disease through the way it affects the gut microbiome.

2. Raising levels of omega-3 fatty acids

A little alcoholic drink, and especially red wine, appears to boost levels of omega-3 fatty acids in plasma and red blood cells.

Omega-3 fatty acids, believed to protect against heart disease, are usually derived from eating fish.

Researchers found that, in 1,604 adult participants, regular, moderate wine drinking was linked to higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

3. Heart health and type-2 diabetes

One study has shown that drinking a glass of red wine with dinner "modestly decreases cardiometabolic risk" in people with type-2 diabetes, and that a moderate intake of red wine is safe.

The scientists believe that the ethanol in wine plays a key role in metabolizing glucose, and that the nonalcoholic ingredients may also contribute. They call for more research to confirm the findings.

Anyone with diabetes should check with their doctor before consuming alcohol.

4. Healthy blood vessels and blood pressure

In 2006, scientists from the United Kingdom (U.K.) found that procyanidins, compounds commonly found in red wine, help keep the blood vessels healthy. Traditional production methods appear to be most effective in extracting the compounds, leading to higher levels of procyanidins in the wine.

Many people find an alcoholic drink relaxes them, but results published in 2012 indicate that nonalcoholic red wine, too, can reduce blood pressure. This could be a more healthful option.

5. Brain damage after stroke

Resveratrol may protect the brain from stroke damage, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Results from tests on mice showed that resveratrol increased levels of heme oxygenase, an enzyme known to protect nerve cells in the brain from damage. When a stroke occurs, the brain is ready to protect itself because of higher enzyme levels.

It remains unclear whether the health benefits are due to the resveratrol itself, or if the alcohol in the wine is needed to concentrate the levels of the compound.

6. Preventing vision loss

Resveratrol in red wine may help prevent vision loss caused by out-of-control blood vessel growth in the eye, according to findings published in 2010.

Diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration are leading causes of blindness among Americans aged 50 years and above. This is due to an overgrowth of blood vessels in the eye, known as angiogenesis.

If further research confirms findings, the scientists believe it could help not only people with vision problems due to diabetes, but those with atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and other causes of retinal detachment.

7. Preventing colon cancer

Scientists in the U.K. reported in 2015 that consuming low doses of resveratrol can reduce the size of bowel tumors by approximately 50 percent. Higher doses reduced tumor size by 25 percent.

However, other experts point out that alcohol is strongly linked to different types of cancer, and that any benefit from resveratrol is likely to be outweighed by the negative effects of the alcohol.

8. Preventing breast cancer

Regular consumption of most alcoholic drinks increases the risk of breast cancer. However, thanks to chemicals in the seeds and skins of red grapes, women who drink red wine in moderation may be spared this risk.

Red grapes and nonalcoholic red wine also offer the benefits of resveratrol.

Normally, alcohol increases a woman's estrogen levels, and this encourages the growth of cancer cells. However, the aromatase inhibitors (AIs) that are present in red wine, and to a lesser extent white wine, reduce estrogen levels and increase testosterone in women approaching menopause.

It is the grape rather than the wine that primarily provides these beneficial compounds, so eating red grapes is more healthful than drinking red wine.

Nevertheless, if a woman is going to choose an alcoholic drink, red wine might be a better option, compared with other beverages.

Scientists have questioned the claims of this study and insist that "alcoholic beverages cause breast cancer independent of beverage type."

9. Improving lung function and preventing lung cancer

Low doses of red wine, and to a lesser extent white wine, may boost lung function and prevent lung cancer cells from proliferating, according to at least one investigation.

10. Protection from prostate cancer

A study published in 2007 reported that, in men who drink moderate amounts of red wine, the chance of being diagnosed with prostate cancer is around half that of men who never drink red wine.

The researchers defined moderate drinking as an average of four to seven glasses of red wine per week.

Those who drank one glass a week were 6 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than those who never drank it.

11. Preventing dementia

A team from Loyola University Medical Center found that moderate red wine intake can reduce the risk of developing dementia.

A long-term study of data from 19 nations found a statistically significant lower risk of dementia among regular, moderate red wine drinkers in 14 countries.

Fast facts on the possible benefits of red wine:

Here are some key points about red wine and health. More detail is in the main article.

• ·     Red wine is high in resveratrol, and it may offer various health benefits.
• ·     Resveratrol may boost heart health, protect against some kinds of cancer, and prevent some types of vision loss.
• ·     Grapes and berries are a better source of resveratrol than red wine, so eating these is likely to be more healthful than drinking wine.
• ·     However, if you are going to drink, red wine appears to be more healthful than some kinds of alcoholic beverage.
• ·     Women should not drink more than one glass a day, and men, two glasses.

What is French paradox  ?

The French paradox is a catchphrase, first used in the late 1980s, that summarizes the apparently paradoxical epidemiological observation that French people have a relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD), while having a diet relatively rich in saturated fats,  in apparent contradiction to the widely held belief that the high consumption of such fats is a risk factor for CHD. The paradox is that if the thesis linking saturated fats to CHD is valid, the French ought to have a higher rate of CHD than comparable countries where the per capita consumption of such fats is lower.

The French paradox implies two important possibilities. The first is that the hypothesis linking saturated fats to CHD is not completely valid (or, at the extreme, is entirely invalid). The second possibility is that the link between saturated fats and CHD is valid, but that some additional factor in the French diet or lifestyle mitigates this risk—presumably with the implication that if this factor can be identified, it can be incorporated into the diet and lifestyle of other countries, with the same lifesaving implications observed in France. Both possibilities have generated considerable media interest, as well as some scientific research.

It has also been suggested that the French paradox is an illusion, created in part by differences in the way that French authorities collect health statistics, as compared to other countries, and in part by the long-term effects, in the coronary health of French citizens, of changes in dietary patterns which were adopted years earlier.

The French diet consists of Red wine in their daily diet. So the active component Resveratrol in Red wine helps in minimising the risk of CHD in the people living there ...