We are sure you have heard how red wine is good for the heart. This is something that people often use to justify their love for red wine. This impression that red wine is good for the heart dates back to the 1980s and states that wine might be one reason why the French have the lowest heart rate problems despite consuming fatty foods.
Some researchers prove the relationship between red wine and heart health; however, it is essential that you know how much quantity is good. In this article, we have explained how red wine is good for your heart and how much red wine is good. So, let's get into the article and learn everything about this.
Can Red Wine Be Good for Your Heart?
Before understanding whether red wine is good for your heart, you must understand how red wine is made. Red wine is made from these little fruit balls called grapes. The skin and the seeds of the grapes are used in the making of these red wines.
The fermentation of these grapes is done, and then it makes these red wines. Now, these grapes have two critical chemicals: polyphenols called resveratrol. This substance is known to be very healthy for making the heart strong.
Due to the presence of resveratrol, the red fine offers ten times more polyphenols than any other kind of wine. Polyphenols and resveratrol are known to be a potent antioxidants and can be excellent for health. They are essential for the protection of the body. Resveratrol also helps activate an enzyme called telomerase. This enzyme is used for the protection of genome integrity. This is also associated with preventing cardiovascular disease and extends the heart's health.
Hence, a small amount of red wine in your diet can be good for the heart. However, if you want to match the level of resveratrol in the blood, you must consume an outrageous amount of red wine.
How much is Drinking is Good?
Another crucial consideration is the appropriate quantity of alcohol consumption to avoid detrimental health effects. As per the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, men should limit their alcohol intake to two drinks or less per day, while women should restrict their consumption to one drink or less per day.
When it comes to standard alcoholic drinks, the following are the ranges that you should be consuming.
- 12 ounces of regular beer
- 5 ounces of wine
- 1.5 ounces of distilled spirit.
The French Paradox – For Heart Health:
When it comes to red wine and heart health, the concept started with the French. The French people consume a lot of red wine, and according to research, it is seen that an average adult consumes about 47 liters every day. This means about 62 bottles are being drunk on average.
Now, it is also seen that people of France also have relatively low rates of heart conditions. Even though these people smoke a lot and have a high food intake with cholesterol and fats, they still don't have high heart conditions.
The French people combined these two facts and concluded that they were less prone to heart disease because of their increased wine drinking. Hence, this theory was named as the French Paradox.
Now, the main facts are whether this theory is right or wrong. According to the research, there are many other factors that can contribute to them having fewer heart conditions. According to the statistics, it is also seen that the French people also have a lower obesity rate, a high rate of exercise, and their food combines with the Mediterranean diet.
Hence, there is no such link between red wine and heart health in the French. But the belief is so firm that people still believe drinking red wine is why they don't have heart conditions.
Other Health Benefits and Risks of Red Wine?
Now we know that, yes, red wine can be good for the heart because of the resveratrol present in it. However, you must have a moderate amount. If you don't have red wine in moderation, it can also harm the body. Therefore, below, we have mentioned both the benefits and the risks of having red wine.
Benefits of Consuming Red Wine:
- Red wine helps with the good high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol in the blood. This is a good lipoprotein needed by the body in the blood vessels.
- The red wine also has anti-inflammatory properties. This also helps with lowering the risk of heart disease, lowers the occurrence of stroke, and also reduces the chances of Type 2 diabetes.
- Red wine also minimizes blood clotting because it things out the blood.
Risks of Consuming Red Wine:
There is a fine line between red wine's benefits and harmful effects. If you are drinking too much red wine, there are many chances that it will be dangerous for you instead of being beneficial.
Hence, the following are some risks you can have when having red wine.
- Different types of cancer can happen, such as esophageal, liver, breast, and colorectal cancers.
- Having red wine all the time can cause alcohol use disorder.
- Liver diseases are prevalent in people who drink excessive amounts of alcohol, including red wine.
- Heart failure is also another risk factor when it comes to having a lot of red wine.
Final Words:
Red wine is the most luxurious alcohol that people like to have. One thing that people think is that red wine is good for the heart health. However, this is not the case. This might be right to some extent, but this is not always true. Hence, we hope this article was beneficial for you in understanding whether red wine is good for heart health or not.
