Lifting your glass of heart healthy wines from time to time is proving to be more than just a way to relax and enjoy your dinner. Studies show that consuming heart healthy wines can help to lower your risk of heart disease, and that’s not the only health benefit that wines can offer you.
While doctors are always a bit hesitant to encourage you to drink, a glass of red wine a day or even a couple days a week can definitely provide you with some benefits to your heart. Here is a closer look at the benefits that wines can have for your health, which wines to choose, and more.
What Makes Wines Heart Healthy?
So, what actually makes wines heart healthy? Research done on these heart healthy wines has shown that there are special antioxidants in these wines, known as polyphenols, which help to keep the blood vessel linings protected. There are two forms of these antioxidants known as nonfalvonoids and flavonoids. The nonflavonoid antioxidants seem to help keep arteries from becoming blocked with fatty blockages. The flavonoids, which are not just found in wines, also appear to be beneficial. While they are more highly concentrated in wine, you’ll also find them in foods like cocoa, grape juice, onions, apples, tea, and oranges.
Presence of Resveratrol
The main antioxidant that is being studied in heart healthy wines happens to be resveratrol. Research that is being done seems to indicate that it can help to prevent blood vessels from being damaged, prevent blood clots from occurring, and can also reduce levels of bad cholesterol. Some think that resveratrol may help to protect against diabetes and obesity as well, both of which are risk factors for cardiovascular problems. This antioxidant may even reduce the risk of inflammation in the body as well, another thing that protects the heart.
Alcohol and Heart Health
Of course, while heart healthy wines can definitely help protect you from heart disease, some studies are showing that alcohol of any kind in a moderate amount can be beneficial to your heart. These studies have shown that the alcohol can help to reduce blood clot formation, helps to lower your bad cholesterol, protects your arteries from damage, and even helps to give your good cholesterol levels a boost.
Which Wines are the Best?
While it seems that any type of alcohol can definitely be beneficial, it is red wines that seem to offer the best protection for your heart. Wondering which wine is your best choice? Cabernet Sauvignon seems to be the top choice according to researchers, since it has the highest content of flavonoids. Pinot Noir and Petit Syrah also have a high amount of the flavonoids as well. If you want to have a drink to your health, pick one of these three red wines to reap the heart healthy benefits.
The Importance of Drinking in Moderation
One thing that you definitely need to keep in mind is that even heart healthy wines need to be consumed in moderation. While there are definitely benefits to drinking wine, it is better to avoid drinking than to drink too much alcohol. Consuming too much alcohol can actually raise your risk of cancer, obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and more. If you decide to start consuming wine for your heart, make sure you control it and only drink in moderation, which is a glass a day.
Other Health Benefits
While heart healthy wines definitely can provide benefits that help protect you from heart disease, there are other benefits that a glass of wine each day can provide. You’ll find that red wine can also help to improve your dental health, preventing inflammatory gum disease. Other studies show that drinking a glass of red wine on a regular basis may also help with Alzheimers prevention.
Heart health wines definitely are a great option if you want to improve heart health and prevent future cardiovascular disease. Combined with a good diet, exercise, meditation, and other stress reducing options, it is one piece of the puzzle that can help you to keep your heart as healthy as possible.
