More and more people choose to drink a little wine every day, and wine is also considered to be one of the more nourishing types of alcohol. Do you know the benefits of moderate wine consumption? And who should not drink wine? Let's take a look below.
Six major benefits of moderate wine consumption
1. Preventing stomach ulcers
Moderate wine consumption reduces a person's risk of being infected by Helicobacter pylori, which is considered the main culprit of stomach ulcers. However, patients who already have stomach ulcers should not drink alcohol, as alcohol may irritate the nerves at the ulcer site and increase pain.
2. Beneficial for cardiovascular health
The antioxidants in red wine can prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol in the arteries. This oxidation process is considered the root cause of heart disease, as oxidized LDL cholesterol eventually forms large blockages in the blood vessels, leading to stroke or myocardial infarction. Studies have found that red wine prevents the formation of these arterial plaques, and drinking 2-4 glasses of red wine weekly can inhibit the progression of arteriosclerosis and vascular intimal hyperplasia.
3. Beneficial for bone health
Wine is good for bone health. Resveratrol in wine can promote bone growth. Red wine is more effective than white wine, while beer and liquor have no such effect.
4. Preventing and treating respiratory diseases
Red wine contains a natural compound that can help treat bronchitis, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema. Grape seeds also contain anti-cancer substances, making wine an anti-cancer food.
5. Beauty benefits
The beauty benefits of red wine come from its powerful antioxidants. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) can neutralize free radicals produced by the body, protecting cells and organs from oxidative damage and restoring a fair and radiant complexion to the skin.
6. Boosting immunity
Studies have found that people who regularly drink wine rarely show cold symptoms. This is because the common cold virus loses its vitality in wine. Phenolic compounds in grapes can form a film on the virus's surface, making it difficult for the virus to enter human cells, thus preventing colds. Wine contains sugars, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, all of which are nutrients directly absorbable by the body. For office workers who are often in air-conditioned rooms and lack exercise, regularly drinking moderate amounts of red wine is very helpful for improving immunity.
People who should not drink wine
1. Pregnant women
Some sommeliers believe that pregnant women can drink a small amount of wine without harming their own health or the fetus's health. However, other medical researchers warn expectant mothers: even a small amount of alcohol in a pregnant woman's body can harm the fetus, especially the brainstem nerves, easily leading to intellectual impairment, reduced IQ, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the child after birth.
2. People with arteriosclerosis
Although wine can prevent arteriosclerosis, for people who already have it or narrowed blood vessels, drinking too much red wine is not beneficial. Firstly, it impairs blood supply function, and secondly, alcohol itself can raise blood lipid levels and promote arteriosclerosis.
3. Patients with stomach diseases
Although wine can help protect the stomach and aid digestion, patients with existing gastrointestinal diseases, especially severe stomach conditions, should not drink wine, as it can easily irritate the stomach and worsen the condition.
4. Patients with liver disease
Generally, moderate wine consumption is beneficial for healthy people because the liver can metabolize and detoxify alcohol. However, in patients with liver diseases (including chronic viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, drug-induced liver disease, and fatty liver), liver function is more or less impaired. Their ability to detoxify alcohol is weaker than that of healthy people, so patients with liver disease should not drink wine.