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WINE BENEFITS

There have been plenty of studies done showing the health benefits of alcohol on the heart, and plenty of rumors that the health benefits of red wine are far greater than those of other alcohols.
Unfortunately for dipsomaniacs, the fact remains that there has not been any significant research to back claims made about the health benefits of red wine.

Says New Orleans resident Michael Breeden, as he enjoys a cold brew, “Red wine is supposed to be healthier for you, but I still like beer.”
His wife Jessica states, “A glass of red wine a day is supposed to be good for the heart, but I haven’t heard anything like that said about beer.”
According to a study by Jefferson Medical College researchers, which compared the effects of drinking red wine and gin using several biochemical markers in the blood, red wine had a much greater effect in lowering levels of substances which are hallmarks for heart disease and stroke.
Subjects in two groups were given two drinks a day, either wine or gin, for 28 days. After that period, those who received red wine were given gin, and those who had been drinking gin were given red wine. The researchers measured levels of inflammatory biomarkers before and after each half of the trial.
The red wine dramatically lowered, more than the gin, the levels of molecules involved in inflammation.
While this is a controversial issue, there are many experts who believe the health benefits of red wine have been shoved under the carpet, when in fact it has highly valuable medicinal properties, as powerful as some of the best drugs we have available today in preventing heart disease.
Dr. Emanuel Rubin, senior pathologist at Jefferson Medical College and established alcohol researcher who led the study, says “Moderate drinking, say one or two drinks a day, provides as much protection as the statins, which can cause about 1/3 reduction in heart attacks. That is a very substantial figure. And alcohol’s a lot cheaper.”
The statins he refers to are powerful drugs like lipitor or pravachol.
Red wine contains many complex compounds including polyphenols, which are absent from gin, and the researchers believe these are responsible for the health benefits of red wine.
“I think it is a reasonable thing for doctors to recommend to patients who have crossed a certain age that ordinary social drinking is actually good for you,” Dr. Rubin states.
The results are only indirect evidence and do not have a proven a protective effect against the development of atherosclerosis. But Dr. Rubin says it’s a reasonable presumption that, taken in moderation, the benefits of red wine include a healthier heart.

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