Is Wine Beneficial To Your Health?
Many claims about the health benefits of wine have been made by medical experts and touted by the medical industry. How true are they?
The most famous claim is the French paradox, which was popularized on 60 Minutes in 1991. It was based on research conducted by Dr. Serge Renard from Bordeaux University, which is located in one of France's main wine-producing regions. According to Dr. Renard, the French have a diet that is high in saturated fats, consuming four times as much butter and 60% more cheese than the average American. But paradoxically, they suffer a relatively low incidence of heart disease compared to Americans. Dr. Renard attributed this to the ability of red wine to help prevent heart disease.
Of course, there are other differences between the French and American diets. For instance, the French eat slightly less in a day than Americans do, and they consume 75% of their meals at home, while Americans consume nearly half of their meals outside the home, often at a fast food restaurant. However, subsequent studies have backed up Dr. Renard's advocacy of wine's health benefits.
Red wine contains resveratrol, which has been shown to lower blood sugar and increase longevity in some animals, but not conclusively in humans. Both red and white wine contain antioxidants, which have all sorts of mildly beneficial effects, like improving brain function and reducing stroke risks.
Additionally, numerous studies have shown a "U-shaped effect" when graphing longevity against alcohol consumption, in which moderate drinkers of 1 to 6 drinks per week were shown to live longer than either individuals who drank heavily or individuals who abstained.
Another report from 1998 shows that moderate wine consumption reduced the risk of stroke in the test subjects. Beer and spirits did not produce a similar effect. The authors of the survey attributed this to the flavonoids and tannins contained in wine.
While moderate wine consumption may be good for you, don't look to wine on its own to counteract the effects of an otherwise unhealthy diet. Dr. Philip J. Goscienski points out that the French also consume more leafy green vegetables than Americans. Green vegetables are high in folic acid, which lowers blood pressure and the risk of heart attacks.
Like any alcoholic substance, too much wine can produce other negative effects, such as hangovers and liver damage. According to India Parenting, 5 glasses of wine a week has been shown to be optimal for enjoying wine's health benefits, without overdrinking and suffering the negative effects of excessive alcohol consumption.