Drinking wine – not bottoms up, but the bottom line

Wine is delicious to drink, great to cook with or pair with food, and interesting to learn about. It also has some health benefits.

You drink wine, and your gums will tingle. The sensation is caused by a substance known as tannin which you can actually see as sediment in wine bottles. Tannin boasts of excellent antioxidant properties.

The tannins in red wine are antioxidants. A glass of red with the daily evening meal has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by managing healthy cholesterol levels.

While wine offers certain medical benefits, it may slightly increase the risk of contracting certain kinds of cancer of the digestive tract, particularly the oesophagus.

Wine has no fat or cholesterol – a guilt-free treat!

An average glass of wine has around 85 calories.

Wine enhances the flavour of the food you eat.

Red or white?

Many people wonder about the differences between red and white wine. Which type of wine has the most benefit?

Unfortunately, more research on white wine is needed, as most studies analysing the benefits of drinking wine has focused on the beneficial properties of red wine.

As red wine has up to 10 times more resveratrol than white wine, it likely provides more health benefits.

Should you drink wine for your health?

Although research suggests that drinking a glass of wine has several potential health benefits, they can also be obtained by eating a healthy diet.

In other words, if you didn’t drink wine before, you don’t need to start simply for the health benefits.

For example, a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fibre, legumes, fish, and nuts already provides high amounts of antioxidants and helps prevent heart disease.

Drink in moderation – or not at all

If you already drink red wine, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means: