What's in red wine that makes it unique?
Red wine has antioxidants that
may help prevent the risk of heart disease by increasing your HDL, which is
your good cholesterol and protecting your body against artery damage. Red wines
also contain flavonoids that aid in this too.
Research is limited because of access to chemically pure compounds, but there is a specific antioxidant is called a polyphenol, and this has been shown to protect the lining of the heart's blood vessels. Polyphenols are a family of natural substances which are only found in plants, and are abundant in grapes.
According to a study published in American Journal for Clinical Nutrition in 2004, the fermentation process of red wine allows for 10X more diffusion of polyphenols than white wine. This is because red wine uses the entire grape…more grape=more antioxidants! The amount polyphenol differs from wine to wine. It all depends on the ripeness of the grape, processing and environmental factors.
Research is limited because of access to chemically pure compounds, but there is a specific antioxidant is called a polyphenol, and this has been shown to protect the lining of the heart's blood vessels. Polyphenols are a family of natural substances which are only found in plants, and are abundant in grapes.
According to a study published in American Journal for Clinical Nutrition in 2004, the fermentation process of red wine allows for 10X more diffusion of polyphenols than white wine. This is because red wine uses the entire grape…more grape=more antioxidants! The amount polyphenol differs from wine to wine. It all depends on the ripeness of the grape, processing and environmental factors.
What are antioxidants?
They can prevent or slow cell damage. But an antioxidant isn’t a substance, it’s a behavior! Something is an antioxidant if it can counteract and eliminate the presence of free radicals in the body. Free radicals are bad because they mess with cell structure, especially cells undergoing oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been found to cause cancer and many other serious diseases... So, keep antioxidants around! Many people are "obsessed" with miracle fruits and other healthy fruit drinks, when in fact it could be much more simple. You might even have a bottle in your kitchen already, just open a bottle of red wine! (If we're going to be specific though, make sure it's full bodied, meaning the liquid is more opaque--this will ensure it contains more polyphenols!) |
A certain polyphenol called resveratrol is present in red wine and reduces LDL, which is your bad cholesterol. This protects your vessels and prevents blood clots as well! This is just the beginning of resveratrol's many health side effects. It also has been found to prevent fat, reduce insulin resistance, diabetes risk, and plaque formation in arteries. (see more!)
Another type of naturally occurring polyphenol is tannin. Tannin is found in plants, seeds, bark, wood, leaves and fruit skins. It also contributes to the many health benefits from red wine, which have been explored even more in depth scientifically...
Another type of naturally occurring polyphenol is tannin. Tannin is found in plants, seeds, bark, wood, leaves and fruit skins. It also contributes to the many health benefits from red wine, which have been explored even more in depth scientifically...