Red wine refers to a natural and healthy alcoholic beverage made by fermenting red grapes with their skins. Based on sugar content, it can be classified into dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, and sweet types. Li Shizhen, a pharmacologist of the Ming Dynasty in China, recorded in his "Compendium of Materia Medica" that wine has the effects of "warming the waist and kidneys, preserving complexion, and resisting cold." Modern tests have confirmed that there are hundreds of compounds in wine, including nutritional components such as sugars, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids, as well as complex mixtures of alcohols, esters, acids, aldehydes, ketones, and phenols, which have high health care value.
Nutritional and Health Benefits of Red Wine
Nutritional Value
Calories: The caloric value of dry red wine is equivalent to that of milk. 1 liter of dry red wine at 10% alcohol has a caloric value of 560 kcal, mainly provided by the oxidation of alcohol. In sweet wines, sugar is also a major source of calories.
Amino Acids: There are 8 amino acids that the human body cannot synthesize on its own, known as "essential amino acids." Both grapes and wine contain these 8 "essential amino acids." This is incomparable to any other fruit or beverage, which is why wine is called a "natural amino acid food" and has been approved by the World Health Organization as one of the healthiest and most hygienic foods. In red wine, the content of these 8 amino acids is very close to that in human blood. Regular and moderate consumption can effectively supplement the body's needs.
Minerals: The minerals in wine include "trace elements" (such as iron, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine, chromium, etc.) and calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, all of which are nutrients required by the human body.
Others: Wine also contains various B vitamins and other nutrients needed by the human body, such as vitamin C and vitamin P.
Health Benefits of Red Wine
Appetizing, strengthening the spleen, aiding digestion, and preventing constipation
The natural acids in grapes are completely dissolved in wine, and its acidity is close to gastric acid (pH 2~2.5). Therefore, as a perfect accompaniment to meals, wine helps in the digestion and absorption of protein. Additionally, wine contains sorbitol, which promotes the secretion of bile and pancreatic juice, not only enhancing the digestive and absorptive functions of the gastrointestinal tract but also regulating colon function, and has a certain therapeutic effect on colitis. Therefore, drinking wine before meals, especially for middle-aged and elderly people, aids digestion and is very beneficial to health. At the same time, the tannins in wine can increase the contractility of intestinal muscle fibers, while the potassium tartrate and potassium sulfate in it can promote urination and prevent edema.
Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases
Red wine contains more substances such as anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and tannins, which have a significant effect on dilating blood vessels and enhancing vascular permeability. The content of these substances is richer in red wine than in white wine. Modern medicine points out that the main culprit of cardiovascular diseases is the high content of cholesterol and blood lipids in the blood. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) in the human body can transport cholesterol in the blood vessels to the liver, where it is converted into useful hormones for the body, and the excess is excreted in the feces. Moderate consumption of wine, especially red wine, can increase HDL levels in the body and reduce the content of cholesterol and blood lipids, thus preventing atherosclerosis and heart disease.
For example, in the French diet, representative foods such as raw cream, butter, and cheese contain large amounts of animal fat. The saturated fatty acids consumed by the French are almost four times those of Americans and Britons, but strangely, the incidence of atherosclerotic heart disease among the French is only one-third of that of Americans and Britons. Many experts believe that this paradoxical phenomenon, known as the "French Paradox," is related to the French habit of drinking wine, especially red wine, with every meal.
Prevention of Stroke
Studies have shown that red wine is an amazing anticoagulant. Regular consumption of a little red wine can dilute the blood, prevent the formation of blood clots in blood vessels, and thus prevent the occurrence or recurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. French scientists confirmed in a study that red wine can not only inhibit platelet aggregation to prevent thrombosis but also increase the level of high-density lipoprotein. Therefore, researchers claim that the anticoagulant effect of red wine on protecting the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems is unique. New evidence shows that people who drink red wine have a lower chance of stroke. In a study of over 10,000 subjects lasting 16 years, it was found that people who drank 1 to 6 glasses of red wine per week had a 34% lower incidence of stroke compared to non-drinkers or occasional drinkers. Therefore, Dr. John Folts, a cardiovascular disease expert at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in the U.S., said: "Drinking red wine has a better anti-thrombotic effect in human blood than taking aspirin, because taking aspirin can cause stomach discomfort."
Anti-aging
Red wine is a powerful exogenous antioxidant. Free radicals are related to human diseases and aging, and antioxidants prevent their attack on human cells by scavenging free radicals. The human body produces effective endogenous antioxidants, but it also needs exogenous antioxidants to supplement this defense system. Red wine is one of the six known powerful exogenous antioxidants (special fresh olive oil, tea, fruits, vegetables, red wine, and vitamin antioxidants). Many antioxidants in red wine can act on reactive oxygen species in various ways; the simplest way is to scavenge active substances. Salicylic acid, benzoic acid, and their metabolites in wine belong to this type of antioxidant. Another important way to eliminate reactive oxygen is for the antioxidant to provide a hydrogen ion to combine with the oxygen free radical and remove it. Catechins, anthocyanins, etc., in wine can scavenge oxygen free radicals.
Rich in Resveratrol
Scientists have isolated resveratrol, the active ingredient in red wine's health benefits. Its chemical name is trihydroxystilbene, and it is a polyphenolic substance first reported by American scholars in 1992. It is a phytoalexin produced by grape plants under ultraviolet light. Scholars at home and abroad generally agree that resveratrol has extremely strong antioxidant properties. It can effectively eliminate free radicals, inhibit various oxidative reactions that cause atherosclerosis and thrombosis, promote blood circulation, and reduce deposits on blood vessel walls. It is especially effective in preventing heart disease and stroke. As a health drink for middle-aged and elderly people, red wine can prevent senile dementia. More encouragingly, resveratrol has confirmed anti-cancer activity. Its antioxidant and anti-mutagenic functions can block cancer at three stages (initiation, promotion, and progression).
Precautions for Consumption
The conclusions from a large number of research studies are consistent: the key to the health benefits of red wine is moderate and regular consumption. Most experts suggest a daily intake of red wine between 50 ml and 200 ml, which can be chosen individually within this range. As some have pointed out, alcohol is a double-edged sword, and red wine is no exception. Moderate and regular consumption has good health effects, while large or excessive consumption has the opposite effect. Experts also point out that for people with liver disease, women with a tendency to breast cancer, or pregnant women, they should not drink alcohol (including red wine).