Most of us believe that a glass of red wine is good for our health. After all, for the last two years we've been reading summaries of research reports and studies that tell us the compound resveratrol, may help prevent cancer and protect the heart and brain from damage.
Actually, the benefits of red wine have been touted for centuries. Now the scientists are trying to figure out why and how.
Even so alcohol can be dangerous. Most studies linking alcohol to health problems usually focus on excess consumption or drinking more than one glass. For example, drinking 2 or more glasses of alcohol puts you at high risk for developing involuntary tremors and breast cancer. On the other hand it tends to improve bone density in women because it does raise estrogen levels.
It's not difficult to see why you may be confused about the do's and don'ts of alcohol.
I suspect the key word here is moderation. Several studies report that when you start to have three or more drinks a day, you lose the benefits. Red wine, for instance, does help raise HDL, the good cholesterol. However, exercise and aspirin can do the same thing so don't start drinking just to improve your cholesterol.
Another factor to remember is that as you age, your body doesn't metabolize alcohol as quickly as it did when you were younger. All of which means is that as you get older it may take just one drink to give you that buzz and hand over the keys to another driver.
Also keep in mind that alcohol can have negative interactions with many medications so ask your pharmacist and doctor the best way to minimize your risks.
Even so the list of benefits from wine seems to grow. Well known for keeping your heart healthy, wine in moderation may help you lose weight, reduce forgetfulness, and boost your immunity.
I enjoy a glass of wine as a cocktail with friends and with a meal at home. I probably have been drinking red wine like this for over 20 years, long before it was The Thing to do. During this past year I am amazed at how many very nice wines are being featured at local stores with prices around $10 a bottle from small vineyards. The names given to some of those wines are sometimes outrageous and very funny!
To your balanced life style,
Ruthan Brodsky
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