Sipping Away To Heart's Content! Can Red Wine Win The Race?

Wine to Win your Heart!

Red wine has been considered across the globe as a heart-healthy alcoholic beverage. In many countries and cultures red wine is an essential part of the meal courses. The cardioprotective property of red wine is believed to be derived from a polyphenol, resveratrol, which naturally occurs in the fruits and leaves of edible plants, peanuts, mulberries and grapes. Resveratrol demonstrates intense antioxidant and radical scavenging activity by reducing fatty acid oxidation/peroxidation. Further, it increases levels of HDL-cholesterol and confers protection against cholesterol buildup in arteries.

The properties of resveratrol can certainly not be disputed but it is required in much larger quantity than present in a few glasses of wine for establishing its potential in the body. And more importantly, though red wine is tagged with a ‘good reputation’, we should not forget that it is essentially an alcohol and must be consumed judiciously, lest it may trigger addiction and alcoholism especially if there is a family history and genetic disposition of the same.

Therefore, despite its popularity, there hasn’t been an explicit evidence of cardioprotective properties of red wine but if taken in moderation, a toast or two can certainly solicit the heart!