Red wine can be a healthy beverage if you drink moderately -- no more than one or two 5-ounce glasses daily -- because it has more polyphenol antioxidants than other alcoholic beverages. Polyphenols are linked to cardiovascular benefits, blood sugar improvement and cancer prevention. Choose red wines with high polyphenol levels. The polyphenol procyanidin may provide cardiovascular benefits as it inhibits blood clots and inflammation, and relaxes and dilates blood vessels, improving blood flow. Procyanidin is the most potent polyphenol for improving cardiovascular health and is highest in the Tannat grape, according to researchers of a study published in the journal "Nature" in 2006. Researchers of this study found wines from Sardinia, Italy and southwestern France to have the highest procyanidin levels, likely as a result of the traditional production method which ensures a high level of procyandidin makes it into the wine. Among these wines, they found Madiran wines from southwestern France to be the highest in procyanidin likely because they are made mainly from Tannat grapes.

Resveratrol is a polyphenol which may reduce cardiovascular and cancer risks and improve blood sugars. In the 1990s, Leroy Creasy, PhD emeritus professor in the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University, studied over 100 different red wine varieties -- 70 from New York, 22 from California, and the rest from other states or countries. Creasy found that Pinot Noir wines had significantly higher resveratrol content than other wine varieties regardless of processing or geography. The polyphenol anthocyanin gives wine its red color. The darker the wine, the more anthocyanin there is in it. Polyphenols multiply in humid weather and when grape skins are exposed to ultraviolet light. Creasy found that all New York wines-- not just Pinot Noir, but also Merlot and other wine varieties -- had significantly higher resveratrol content overall. This is likely a result of New York's often sunny and humid weather. Dr. James Harbertson, an enologist at Washington State University, advises choosing wines from regions farther from the equator because they have more daylight hours.

Also choose dry -- less sweet -- wines, such as Cabernet, as they have higher anthocyanin and procyanidin levels. According to the American Heart Association, there is insufficient evidence to recommend to people who do not drink to start drinking red wine as a protective measure for their cardiovascular health. The health benefits of red wine may be influenced by other factors such as genetics, physical activity, smoking, social life and environment. box of wine vs bottleDiscuss moderate drinking with your physician especially if you are a cardiac patient.best sweet dinner wine Gain 2 pounds per weekbest book for understanding wine Gain 1.5 pounds per weekwhere can i buy mini wine glasses

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Antioxidants in Cabernet Vs. Merlot Can Drinking Wine Lead to High Cholesterol? Risks and Benefits of Pomegranate Juice Does Red Wine Increase HDL Levels? Is Red Wine Good for Fatty Liver? All Articles Fitness Nutrition Four Health Benefits of Red Wine Red wine has well known health benefits. However, drinking any alcoholic beverage in excess can lead to alcoholism and the serious health problems associated with it, so limit your red wine consumption to no more than 24 ounces per day. Use FitDay to keep track of the calories you're eating and make sure that you get adequate nutrition on the road to weight loss as you enjoy the following benefits of an occasional glass of wine. 1) Red Wine is Good for Your Heart Red wine contains resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant compound. Resveratrol also protects your heart and arteries against the effects of saturated fat in your diet, so drinking one or two glasses of red wine a day can help protect your heart and prevent cardiovascular disease.

The flavonoids and sapponins in red wine also help to protect your heart against cardiovascular disease. The alcohol in red wine, when consumed in moderation, raises your levels of "good" HDL cholesterol, helps prevent the formation of blood clots and can help to protect your arteries from the damage caused by "bad" LDL cholesterol. 2) Red Wine Contains Antioxidants In addition to resveratrol, red wine contains a number of other antioxidants, which can slow the signs of aging and prevent a number of degenerative illnesses like type 2 diabetes. Drinking one or two glasses of red wine each day can help protect you from many of the diseases of the elderly, such as osteoporosis. 3) Red Wine Prevents Cancer Mounting evidence suggests that drinking red wine in moderation can help prevent cancer. The many antioxidants in red wine can help prevent the oxidative damage responsible for the process of aging and for many degenerative conditions like Alzheimer's, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Guercetin, one of the many antioxidants in red wine, may help prevent lung cancer. Research has shown that resveratrol, the same red wine antioxidant that helps protect your heart, can also kill cancerous cells. Scientists have found that resveratrol, when used in conjunction with radiation therapy, can penetrate cancerous cells and induce apoptosis. Apoptosis is a type of cell death that occurs when the cell dies, dissolves and is removed by the white cells of your immune system. Cancer researchers have been looking for a way to induce apoptosis in cancerous cells, because it's the safest way to remove unwanted cells from the body. Resveratrol also inhibits cancerous cells' ability to remove irradiated particles, making radiation therapy more effective against cancer. Resveratrol also attacks cancerous cells and inhibits their ability to function. 4) Red Wine Prevents Tooth Decay Red wine, even non alcoholic red wine, hardens your enamel to prevent tooth decay. Hardened enamel is more resistant to Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria which lives on your teeth and is responsible for tooth decay.