As if anyone needs a reason to enjoy red wine. When I moved to France, I couldn’t believe that some of the wine is actually cheaper than buying bottled water or soft drinks in the supermarket! I’ve really had to be disciplined to stick to alcohol on weekends! Imagine my delight when I realised that it turns out that red wine really does give you a shit ton of health benefits. Just remember though, we’re talking no more than five glasses a week. (And no more than two glasses a day). But hey, that’s 5 guilt-free glasses a week. No more kidding yourself that the grapes are one of your 5 a day.

Here are just some of the incredible health benefits of red wine.

Heart Health

Red wine contains loads of different active compounds that contain properties to protect your heart health. This includes quercetin, polyphenols, and resveratrol. There have been numerous studies looking at how moderate enjoyment of red wine can be beneficial to various aspects which relate to heart disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, resveratrol can prevent blood clots from forming, raise healthy levels of cholesterol, and help prevent the damage that bad cholesterol causes arteries.

According to the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, quercetin promotes heart health by reducing inflammation and regulating blood pressure.

Fights Bad Cholesterol

A study from Copenhagen’s Royal Veterinary and Agriculture University found that the level of wine consumption was directly related to the level of good cholesterol. Participants saw an improvement of 5% after enjoying red wine in moderation. Additionally, Australia’s Curtin University completed a study that discovered that regularly drinking red wine could reduce the level of bad cholesterol. This was specifically noted in postmenopausal women. Finally, something good about menopause!

Free Radical Fighting

Free radicals build up in your system and cause a variety of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular problems, arthritis, neurodegenerative diseases, and more. Red wine contains antioxidants that counteract the stress that is caused by free radicals. These antioxidants bolster your immune system and reduce the risk of a load of serious health problems.

Diabetes Management

Red wine can reduce the speed with which glucose passes into the bloodstream through the small intestine. This helps with the prevention of blood sugar spikes that type 2 diabetes causes. When you consume it in moderation, red wine can form part of a diet plan if you have type 2 diabetes. The reason that red wine is so much more effective than white wine is that red wine contains over ten times the number of polyphenols.

Prevents Weight Gain

The grapes that are used in red wine contain piceatannol, and this is similar in structure to the compound resveratrol. However, the nifty little thing that piceatannol does, is block immature fat cells from growing. Where it’s present, it prevents cell development from progressing. It’s so effective at this because it can destroy these fat cells early on in the process, thus preventing the accumulation of fat cells and gains in body mass. How? I hear you splutter as you spit your coffee out? Well, it’s by binding to the insulin receptors that are located in the fat cells, and then blocking insulin from controlling the cycle of those cells. Oh and bonus, it also blocks the activity of insulin to activate fat formation genes.

Dementia Preventing

It’s been known for a long time that the Mediterranean diet has a ton of health benefits. Red wine is central to the diet, and according to the National Institute on Aging, those who follow it reduce the risk of dementia by 48%. 48%!!!!

There has been more research completed on red wine as an effective preventative measure for Alzheimer’s. It is resveratrol that is highlighted as the key compound in red wine that can prevent or slow down the progression of dementia. This is because of its ability to reduce inflammation, and serve as a protectant to neurons.

Red Wine Ingredients

The reason that red wine is so good for health is due to its ingredients. It’s the flavonoid content which boosts your health.

Quercetin is known for its ability to impact heart disease, chronic disease, allergies, high cholesterol, diabetes, skin disorders, gout, stomach ulcers, eye issues, cancer, and cognitive impairments.

Resveratrol is another key compound, and it is known for its ability to support the health of cells and tissues, protect against diabetes, promote circulation, fight oxidative stress, protect against cancer, prevent premature aging, and improve energy.

Cheers to that. I’m off to pour a glass. Oh wait, it’s only 10am……well, if it’s for medicinal purposes…….