Cheers! 9 Surprising health benefits to drinking wine

Cheers! 9 Surprising health benefits of drinking red wine

Sarah Khan

22 Aug 2017

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Reduces risks of various cancers
Red grapes are found to be the best fruit for suppressing the activity of aromatase, the enzyme used by breast tumours to produce their own estrogen. Red wine, as such, may serve as a aromatose inhibitor. Resveratrol found in red wine is also thought to kill cancer cells by eliminating a pathway that feeds cancer cells.
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Live longer
In Ikaria, a Greek island in the far east of the Mediterranean, the island residents live significant longer than the population on the other islands and on the mainland - even more so than the rest of Europe and America. In fact, approximately 1 in 3 Ikarians live up to their 90s, and report far lower rates of cancer and heart disease. Daily consumption of wine is an integral part of their diet that consists of fewer animal-based foods and more plan-based foods. Researchers at Harvard Medical School have also found evidence that resveratrol directly activates a protein that promotes health and longevity in animals.
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Boost memory
Resveratrol may also improve short-term memory. Researchers found that participants taking resveratrol reported a significant increase in the retention of words and a faster performance in the part of the brain associated with learning and the formation of new memories.
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Reduces risk of liver disease
This challenges conventional linking alcohol to liver disease. Modest wine consumption, which is defined as one glass per day, may decrease the prevalence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Modest wine drinkers, when compared to people who do not drink at all, cuts their risk of NAFLD by half. By comparison, modest beer or spirits drinkers reported four times the likelihood of having suspected NAFLD relative to wine drinkers.
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Chases the blues away
We can all relate to wine being able to help us unwind and relax. However, did you know that wine can prevent the likelihood of depression? Researchers in Spain found that men and women who consumed between 2 to 7 glasses of wine a week were less likely to be diagnosed with depression.
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Banishes breakouts
Resveratrol can inhibit the growth of acne-causing bacteria far better than benzoyl peroxide. As topical application of resveratrol through creams is proven to be not be as effective, consuming the antioxidant through wine, fruits and vegetables is the best way to benefit from its breakout-banishing capabilities.
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Protects your teeth
While we've mentioned wine's antimicrobial properties on the skin, it also helps reduce the bacteria on our teeth! Drinking wine is in fact a little-known way to protect your teeth from bacteria buildup.
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Remedy for flu
Research conducted in Spain that studied 4000 faculty members across five universities found that those who drank wine were less likely to come down with the flu, compared to those that regularly drank beer or spirits. The researchers believe that this could be attributed to the antioxidants found in red wine that helps lower inflammation reduce flu symptoms.
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Promote healthy eyes
Resveratrol stops the growth of out-of-control blood vessels in the eyes, according to research by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

A glass of red wine a day keeps the blues and diseases away, apparently.

There is nothing like kicking back with a glass of red wine after a long week at work. While we might typically see our red wine indulgences in a slightly guilty light, recent studies have surfaced that perhaps that Friday night tipple might not be such a guilty pleasure after all.

By now, you’ve probably heard of healthy benefits of red wine on the heart. Prepare to be amazed, however. Beyond being great for the heart, drinking wine offers a slew of surprising health benefits – many of which are attributed to a component called resveratrol, found in grapes used in red wine (white grapes, and therefore white wine, do not contain it).

From boosting memory to eliminating the risks of various cancers (and even banishing breakouts), keep scrolling in our gallery above for 9 health benefits of red wine you’ll be appreciative to know.

Sarah Khan

Photos: Getty Images

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