What about Wine?

We've all heard that drinking a glass of wine a day is good for your heart and I even mentioned that in the Mediterranean they drink in moderation. Yes there are benefits to drinking red wine and an occasional drink won't hurt. Before we discuss any benefits, there are things to consider. Alcohol provides virtually empty calories and slows metabolism, and is therefore not conducive to weight loss. If you're looking to lose weight I would avoid alcohol consumption all together. The benefits you get from wine, you can also get from fish oil and a low carb, high antioxidant diet (therefore you get the same if not better results from whole foods, plus drink green tea-we discussed it last week and know about it's antioxidant powers). What's so great about wine (specifically red)? Hopefully most have heard about resveratrol. It's an antioxidant that prevents free radical damage in the body. It prevents blood clotting and plaque from forming in the arteries by altering lipid profiles and plasma viscosity. In addition it may produce an agent that can improve cardiovascular health and lower the risk of coronary heart disease. It has anti-aging properties by activating sirtuin, which protects cells from its own DNA. Great for Alzheimer's, it reduces the toxicity of existing plaque and prevents cognitive degeneration. Some downfalls are that alcohol can elevate triglycerides (terrible for such things as diabetes) plus it can trigger migraines. If you're not looking to lose weight and want an occasional glass, what should you look for? Red of course! Also ones' that are made in cooler climates have higher resveratrol levels, as do organic brands.