Red Wine & a Healthy Heart

Over the last several years moderate red wine consumption has not only increased but has also been encouraged. This phenomenon has occurred due to the acceptance by the medical community, as well as the general public, of the documented health benefits of red wine consumption.

Wine polyphenols, such as resveratrol, have been credited with those health benefits related to red wine use. These polyphenols have been shown to be effective in reducing the occurrence and damage of free radicals, decreasing the risks of heart disease, increasing the death rate and destruction of cancerous cells, and improving the outcomes of other health conditions and concerns.

The mechanisms by which wine polyphenols perform their activities have not been fully indentified, and those that have been are not completely understood. A study published in Food Research International investigated the effects of red wine polyphenols on the rate of oxidation of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the blood, in addition to their abilities to neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are both a cause and a result of fatty acid oxidation, creating a vicious cycle that can have far-reaching health affects.

This study showed that red wine polyphenols appeared to protect fatty acids from oxidation, especially the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, and in doing so also reduced and controlled the production of free radicals. By identifying this process, researchers believe that they may have found one mechanism through which these polyphenols provide anti-inflammatory benefits to the body.

By protecting and retaining healthy fatty acid levels, polyphenols influence the actions of those fatty acids, especially omega-3’s, which have been proven to influence healthy cholesterol levels and heart functions, vision and eye health, cognitive health, blood circulation, joint health and comfort, and much more.

Consuming red wine has often been seen as a pleasurable, as well as a social activity. Most individuals have never or will never think of this activity as doing something healthy for their body. Dietary habits that encourage wine consumption, such as those of the French and Mediterranean lifestyles, support the notion that wine provides beneficial components that can improve the quality of life. Research on wine consumption, as well as supplements that contain wine-related polyphenols, appears to be primarily positive and continues to grow.