Drinking to Your Health: Benefits of Drinking Red Wine

(Please Note: I am not a medical professional and therefore this should not be used as medical fact. Always consult your doctor for information regarding alternative care.)

Many of us love to drink wine on occasion, whether it is with dinner, or just for social pleasure. If it is not taken in excess, wine can have many great health benefits, especially red wine.

The alcohol in red wine is not what is good for you, but rather the antioxidants that the wine contains. Antioxidants help protect your body from cell damage due to free radicals. Therefore, your heart and nervous system benefit greatly.

However, drinking too much can lead to liver failure and heart disease, which is why it should be consumed in moderation. Many health researchers recommend only consuming one to two glasses of wine a day for maximum benefit. Anything more can lead to other health issues such as obesity and high blood pressure.

Free radicals are the molecules that are believed to cause tissue damage, degenerative diseases, aging, and cancers. Antioxidants help prevent free radicals from causing such damage to the body.

When you drink red wine, the antioxidants help to fight against free radicals. Therefore, drinking red wine can lead you to look younger and feel younger thanks to the cleansing nature of antioxidants.

• Heart disease - Red wine is believed to help decrease the amount of “bad” cholesterol and increase “good” cholesterol. Red wine may help prevent stroke or heart attack.
• Cancer – Red wine is believed to help eliminate and slow down the affects of prostate and ovarian cancer.
• Neurological Disorders – Red wine is believed to help create new nerve cells, thereby aiding in preventing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
• Dental Health – Some scientist have found that red wine appears to help eliminate inflamed gums and tissue damage caused by periodontal disease.

• Shiraz: Shiraz comes from a dark (red) skinned grape that tends to produce a very strong wine.
• Merlot: Merlot wine comes from a bluish grape and tends to be a softer, more fruitier red wine.
• Cabernet Sauvignon: This is one of the most popular red wine varieties. It comes from a blackish blue grape. This wine has a variety of flavors, depending upon when the grapes were picked and how ripe, or unripe, they were. The more unripened they are, the more vegetable or bell pepper flavoring they will have. The overly ripened grape however will have a more fruity or jam like flavor.
• Malbec: Malbec wine comes from a dark purple grape and tends to have a very plum like flavor.
• Pinot Noir: Pinot Noir comes from an almost black colored grape. This wine is often considered one of the most romantic wines, due to it's sweet smell and powerful flavor.
• Zinfandel: This wine comes from a red grape and it's flavor varies based upon climate. Colder climates will yield an almost raspberry like flavor whilst warmer climates will yield an almost blackberry like flavor.
• Sangiovese Sangiovese comes from a purple grape. This wine often has a very fruity flavoring. However, if it has been aged for a long period of time, it can take on a more woodsy flavor.
• Barbera: Barbera is a very popular red wine variety due to it's deep coloring and low levels of acid.