Classic Wines

Making Wine Part of a Healthy Lifestyle

Alcohol, especially red wine, can be beneficial to our health, and considerable research has been done on the subject. Flavenoids in wine can help reduce cardiovascular events. Furthermore, the University of California-San Diego did a study that uncovered that moderate, daily wine drinking can improve liver health -- but how much is too much?

According to The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, moderate drinking, as defined, is less than we think -- up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. For wine, a single drink is defined as five fluid ounces. Therefore, as mean as this may sound, it is best to put the bottle down after the first glass and pour yourself some water instead (or grape juice for extra antioxidants). An excessive amount of alcohol (more than the moderate amount defined) in the diet could bring many health risks, including cancers of the digestive system.

Without alcohol in our system, the body's preferred sources of energy are carbohydrates and lipids (fats). From a nutrition standpoint, alcohol is considered an empty calorie, as it doesn't provide the body with many nutrients. Also, when we drink, alcohol is converted to acetate in the liver, and the body prefers to use acetate for energy; therefore, the other calories we take in are not being burned (this is why a lot of those delectable, little cocktails and sweet alcoholic beverages are so bad for us). For a wine drinker watching his/her waistline, a good solution to this little problem, aside from drinking moderately, is drinking wines low in alcohol.

While there is not any conclusive evidence on food that could enhance the health benefits of wine, certain dietary changes could be made to improve overall health. Eating more fruits and vegetables is one way to not only lose weight, but feed your body what it needs. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 recommends a serving of 2 cups of fruit and 2&12frac; to 3 cups of vegetables a day! For more details on dietary information, please visit www.mypyramid.gov. Fruits and vegetables are not only low in calories, but they are also excellent sources of phytochemicals (compounds found in plants that have a strong antioxidant effect for humans), and they can help protect the body from heart disease and cancer. Though phytochemicals are found in most fruits and vegetables, they are strongest in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage.

In the kitchen, wine can also be a strong tool in fighting hypertension. One could greatly reduce the amount of sodium added to food by just adding a little wine (any kind of acid works, though). What happens is that acids trick the tongue into thinking that there is more sodium in your food, and in the end, you eat less salt.

Drinking wine could be beneficial, or detrimental to one's health, which is why one must take care not to cross over the line. Moderation is key to our overall happiness -- cheers!