Wine
& Health
"A
meal without wine is like a day without sunshine." -
Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
"There
are more old wine drinkers than old doctors." - German
Proverb
Wine:
An Ingredient in a Healthy Lifestyle
Moderate
consumption of wine, meaning one to two glasses per day,
may actually be good for your health according to Dr. Curtis
Ellison, Chief of Preventive Medicine at Boston University
(Moderate Wine Consumption and Health: A Scientific Perspective).
Historically, wine has been recommended by physicians for
the treatment of iron deficiency anemia, to help vegetarians
increase their mineral absorption, and to help reduce the
incidence of troublesome sleep disorders. The traditional
use of wine with meals offers many benefits including aiding
the digestive process, stimulating the intake of nutrients
and helping reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by
reducing cholesterol.
You
may have heard the term "French Paradox" which refers to
the fact that per capita alcohol consumption in the form
of wine, and saturated fat intake in France are very high,
but levels of coronary heart disease in that nation are
relatively low. Researchers have discovered that one reason
for the low rate of coronary heart disease is the presence
of phenolic compounds such as "resveratrol" in wine, especially
red wine. Studies show that resveratrol lowers LDL cholesterol
(the so-called "bad") while elevating HDL cholesterol levels
(the good cholesterol) which helps to clear arterial walls
of harmful deposits (Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry
Experimental Station, Vol. 58, No. 2).
Dr.
Arthur Klatsky, chief of the Division of Cardiology at the
Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente Medical group monitored
8,000 people for 10 years. The results (published in Alcohol
and Mortality: A New, Prospective Kaiser Permanente Study,
Annals of Internal Medicine, 117, 1992) showed that people
who drink one or two glasses of wine per day live longer
and are less likely to die from all causes than either abstainers
or heavy drinkers. No one should consume alcohol and operate
a motor vehicle or machinery, and people with problematic
drinking in their family histories should likewise stay
away from alcohol.
Indeed,
scientific researchers repeatedly have found that moderate
daily wine consumption actually appears to be more beneficial
than either zero consumption or over-consumption. A healthy
lifestyle also includes regular exercise and a diet which
is low in fat and high in fresh fruit, vegetables, and grains.
A glass of wine can be both pleasurable and relaxing and
has a favorable influence on mood and sociability, some
important ingredients of well-being.
Notable
Quotations
- "Among
persons who prefer a beverage type, those who choose wine,
but not red wine in particular, are at the lowest coronary
artery disease risk. Possible explanations include favorable
traits of wine preferrers, factors related to consumption
patterns, or some unknown protective ingredient of wine."
-
- Arthur Klatsky, M.D. American Heart Association Conference,
November 18, 1992
- "If
you are a proven light to moderate drinker, with no history
suggesting risk of alcohol problems and you are at coronary
artery disease risk, you should not change. For some persons
abstinence may be hazardous."
-
- Arthur Klatsky, M.D. American Public Health Association
Conference, November 10, 1992
- "Drink
a glass of wine after your soup and you steal a ruble
from your doctor."
-
- Russian Proverb
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