I've heard that red wine is good for your heart...why is this?
Is it just a rumour?
2006-10-21 14:26:43 · 4 answers · asked by Sara S 4 in Health ➔ Other - Health
One particularly interesting polyphenol antioxidant found in red wine is resveratrol, to which numerous beneficial effects have been attributed.
Red wine also contains a significant amount of flavonoids and red anthocyanin pigments that act as antioxidants.
2006-10-21 14:29:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 0⤋
Red wine - when CONSUMED IN MODERATION - increases blood HDL, or good cholesterol, and decreases LDL, or bad cholesterol, and even more importantly, discourages the formation of clots that can close off arteries and cause heart attacks or strokes.
It could be the alcohol in the wine that is causing the effect, but white wine is not as effective. Tests have shown that red grape juice that is not fermented is also protective so it appears that it is something in the red part of the red wine that is the active ingredient. There is good evidence now that it is the tannins in red grape juice (fermented or not) that provides the protective effect. Tannins are complex molecules that give a young wine its astringent taste. Most wine affectionados lay the wine away for many years to allow the tannins to break down and produce a smooth balanced wine. Tannins are also powerful antioxidants, and it is this property that makes tannins important in the fight against heart disease.
2006-10-21 14:37:05 · answer #2 · answered by LB 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant found in red wine is benefitial to the heart because it breaks down fats and lipids clogging the veins and arteries around the aorta of the heart. REMEMBER – anything is good for you IN MODERATION. If you drink a bottle of wine a day, it may not be good you - a 1/2-3/4, or 1 a glass a day is reasonable.
2006-10-21 14:35:56 · answer #3 · answered by Andrew 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
aha! I will now relate this question to the so called "French Paradox" this being the fact that Americans and French people have very similar lifestyles, that is, Eat smoke and drink too much (haha aussies also dont worry :D) but the French suffer significantly less heart disease.. why? Because the french drink a significantly larger amount of wine! Hm if only life was that simple :D
2006-10-21 14:36:22 · answer #4 · answered by Benjamin E 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋