A glass a day keeps the doctor away

I started referring to my daily glass of wine as my “heart medicine” the day the doc suggested I should consider drinking a glass of red wine a day. Of course, he then paused and finished his “prescription” with “Oh, I forgot. Look who I am talking to. I am preaching to the choir.”

The ideal time for a glass of wine is with dinner. In many European countries, wine is food, and part of daily culture and traditions. As we look into the history of wine and today’s science, there is plenty to say about the proven health benefits of moderate wine drinking.

The Mayo Clinic has reported that red wines such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, sangiovese and syrah have long been thought of as being heart-healthy when drunk in moderation. The alcohol and antioxidants in red wine may help prevent heart disease. Antioxidants such as flavonoids and resveratrol are widely found in the skin, stem and seeds of grapes. Red wines have more antioxidants since red grapes are fermented with the skins, stems and seeds, while white grapes are pressed, extracting juice with the skins, stems and seeds eliminated, and the juice is fermented by itself.

Flavonoids can strengthen capillary walls as well as corral cell-damaging free radicals contributing to the reduced risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke. They may even play a special role in protecting our brains from memory-loss. Resveratrol might be a key ingredient, as it appears to prevent arteries from fatty blockages while assisting in preventing damage to blood vessels, reducing bad cholesterol and preventing blood clots.

Consider the studies of the “French Paradox.” The French dine on almost four times more butter and three times more lard products, resulting in higher cholesterol levels and blood pressure than Americans. Yet, the French are 2.5 times less likely than Americans to die of heart disease. Could this be due to liberal wine consumption by the French?

Let’s not forget that chardonnay, semillon, riesling, pinot grigio and other white wines also have health benefits. White wines are also heart-healthy — showing the same antioxidants as red wine, but in less amounts. A recent study presented by the American Thoracic Society found that people possessed overall better lung function by drinking white wine than those who drank red wine, or other alcoholic beverages.

Finally, let’s tackle the sulfite issue. Many people complain that they are allergic to wines, especially red wines, because of their sulfite content. Since the 1986 mandatory warning label regarding sulfites in wine, the FDA, University of California at Davis and Harvard School of Medicine have announced that only one percent of the population in the United States is allergic to sulfites, and that one percent is that with severe asthma and sulfite oxidase deficiency.

Now, it’s important to know that I am not a doctor, and though I’d love to play one on TV, especially on the soap opera “The Young & Restless” or “Law & Order – SVU,” if you have any questions regarding wine and your health you should check with your physician.

And as Mark Twain said, “All things in moderation, including moderation.”

Cheers to your health!