How to maximize the health benefits of drinking wine

Numerous studies show that moderate consumption of alcohol — one to two 120 millilitre (four ounce) glasses of wine a day, preferably with a meal — is associated with a lower risk of heart disease. According to a 1991 report, the French had a heart attack rate only one-third as high as that of North Americans, despite consuming as much or more fat as North Americans. Researchers have not determined what it is in wine that may prevent heart attacks, but some theorize that compounds such as quer­cetin and resveratrol in grape skins, as well as other bioflavonoids, may be responsible. These compounds tend to make the blood less sticky and less likely to form clots, a cause of most heart attacks. The bio­fla­vo­noids also have antioxidant properties and may help prevent damage to the artery wall and help keep the arteries dilated.  Here are some tips to help you enjoy the health benefits of wine.

Studies are under way looking at other benefits from the resveratrol found in wine. It is believed that it has a preventative effect on several types of cancer, including colon and prostate cancer.

• Laboratory studies indicate that the anthocyanin pigments and tannins in wine can fight viruses, but this effect has not been proved in humans.
• Tannins can inhibit the growth of plaque-forming bacteria on the teeth and may protect against cavity formation.
• Other studies are exploring the link between wine consumption and lowered risk of dementia.

A new study finds ingredients in red wine may hold a key to protecting us from cancer and age-related diseases. The key lies in compounds found in red wine, as well as vegetables, that unlock the anti-aging enzyme, SIR-2.

• These compounds activate SIR-2, which stabilizes DNA and extends life.
• Researchers at Harvard Medical School used the compounds to extend the lifespan of yeast by up to 70 percent.
• Humans have an enzyme similar to that found in yeast, so the findings may provide a new approach for researchers to develop drugs to protect us from disease and help us live longer.

Red wine is made from purple grapes, but white wine is not necessarily made from white grapes. Many white wines are made from purple grapes, but the skins are removed before they colour the fermenting juice, called must.

• The skins contain most of the bioflavonoids, phenols, tannins and other compounds that give wine its flavour and healthful properties.
• The longer the skins are retained in the wine-making process, the deeper the colour will be.
• Some dessert wines are made with specially overripened grapes to achieve a prized sweetness and rich consistency.
• A 120 millilitre glass (four ounces) of red wine contains about 80 to 90 calories, compared to 75 to 85 in the same amount of white wine and 175 in dessert wine.
• Many wines have trivial amounts of minerals; red wine has a trace of iron.

• The benefits of moderate wine drinking are lost when consumption exceeds 240 millilitres (eight ounces) a day.
• Overconsumption can increase the risk of obesity, stroke, breast cancer, high blood pressure, as well as alcoholism, and cirrhosis and other liver disorders.
• Even moderate alcohol consumption may raise the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (involving a burst blood vessel).
• Heavy use of alcohol in early pregnancy can cause birth defects.
• Most wines contain sulfites and preservatives that can trigger allergic reactions in susceptible people.
• Wine, especially red, is a common trigger of migraines.