Controls cholesterol. A health study conducted by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain has discovered that a high-fiber Tempranillo red grape cultivar, which is essential in wines like Rioja, may be beneficial to cholesterol levels in our body. In the group of healthy participants who consumed the grape supplement found in red wine, “bad cholesterol” level dropped by 9%. On the other hand, in the group of participants with high cholesterol, the level dropped by 12%.
Your heart’s guardian. Aside from keeping bad cholesterol level at bay, polyphenols that are found in red wine help in keeping blood vessels flexible, which in return decreases the risk of unwanted clotting. According to John Folts, PhD, a professor of cardiovascular medicine and nutrition at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, these antioxidants are nearly as effective as aspirin.
Regulates blood sugar. A research article published recently in the journal Nutrition has stirred the scientific circles by revealing that resveratrol is the main suspect for low blood sugar in people who regularly drink red wine. This natural compound of red wine is found in the skin of red grapes. Participants in the study who took a daily dose of 250 mg resveratrol dietary supplement for three months had lower blood sugar levels that those who took no pills.
Keeps you in shape. Just when you thought that resveratrol is the only healthy compound in red wine, you learn something new. When dissolved in our body, resveratrol releases piceatannol, a phenolic compound that according to a research in the Journal of Biological Chemistry hampers to growth of fat cells. This useful metabolite binds to the insulin receptors of fat cells and blocks the pathways that immature fat cells use to grow and develop.
Glass a day keeps doctor away. If you are prone to coming down with a cold more than you’d like to, you should try the experiment that included over 4,000 faculty members of five Spanish universities. According to a 2001 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, those who had more than 14 glasses of red wine per week were 40% less likely to catch a common cold.Many scientific studies have shown that compounds found in red wine lower the risk of coronary artery disease, diabetes, congestive heart failure and stroke. Drinking too much, however, wouldn’t do you good, nor would it drinking too little.
Improves memory. Not only it keeps glucose levels low, but resveratrol also keeps your brain functioning at 3000 rpm. This natural-occurring phenol that is also found in blueberries, raspberries and mulberries prevents the formation of beta-amyloid protein, which is responsible for the Alzheimer’s. Crossword puzzles and a glass of one of your favorite wine specials is a good way of keeping your brain in shape.