Benefits of Wine for Health and Risks
Benefits of Wine for Health and Risks
Alcoholic drinks should be limited to a minimum. However, grapes, aka wine, are believed to have health benefits. So, what are the benefits of wine?
Benefits of drinking wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes. Fermenting yeast will eat the sugar in the grapes, then convert it into alcohol and carbon dioxide according to https://ajsmuskego.com/.
1. Reduces the risk of dementia
Believe it or not, wine has the potential to be useful for strengthening your memory.
A short report published by the BMJ (2018) states that people who do not consume wine at all are at greater risk of experiencing dementia.
Researchers say that the polyphenol content in wine can reduce inflammation and reduce fat levels in blood vessels in the brain.
Polyphenols also help reduce inflammation and provide protection to the nerves. Even so, these benefits still need further research.
Researchers also stated that they could not necessarily recommend consuming wine as a memory supplement.
2. Maintain heart health
There are various studies that have found that the benefits of wine can maintain heart health.
Wine contains resveratrol. This compound has antioxidant properties which can reduce inflammation in the body.
Apart from that, resveratrol also maintains the function of the endothelium or the part of the heart that maintains smooth blood flow.
The resveratrol in wine also has the potential to reduce fat in the blood which can clog vessels and increase the risk of heart disease.
However, experts from the American Heart Association say that it is not clear whether these benefits really come from wine or a healthy lifestyle.
3. Maintain digestive health
One sign of a healthy digestive tract is a balanced number of good and bad bacteria in the intestines.
The polyphenol content in wine has the potential to increase levels of good bacteria and fight disease-causing bacteria.
The digestion process of polyphenols also produces compounds that can provide food for good bacteria.
However, this benefit still needs to be researched further and there is still a lot of other evidence that needs to be collected.
4. Reduces the risk of depression
The resveratrol content can increase a compound called serotonin in the brain.
Serotonin is a compound that can improve your mood and make you feel happy.
The resveratrol in wine also protects the nerves in the brain so that they are not susceptible to experiencing symptoms of depression.
A large study published by BMC Medicine found that people who drank as little as 5 – 15 grams of wine per day had a lower risk of developing depression.
Even so, this study confirms that drinking excessive alcohol can actually increase the risk of depression.
5. Lower blood pressure
The resveratrol content in wine can lower blood pressure and increase good cholesterol.
Good cholesterol can maintain the function of the endothelium so that blood flow remains smooth so that the heart does not work too hard and cause hypertension.
Apart from that, wine from red grapes contains procyanidin which keeps blood vessels in a healthy condition, without experiencing excessive pressure.
However, regular grape juice is rich in polyphenols which make blood vessels more relaxed and blood pressure more stable.
Drinking grape juice can be a healthier choice.
