With the holiday craze in full swing, you might find yourself with a glass of wine more often than usual. Not only do you need to check things off your holiday list, but your work is probably demanding more from you. Your company wants to end the year on a strong note, which often means putting in long hours before your time off for the holidays. So many studies have proven that a glass of wine a day is actually good for us, like reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
But, everything must be done in moderation. Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of breast cancer as well as a host of other well-known alcohol-related problems. It is recommended that women limit their wine intake to one glass a day, especially if you’re a daily/frequent drinker. It is recommended not to surpass a maximum of 20 to 30 ml of pure alcohol in one day. A standard-sized glass of wine already contains slightly more than 20 ml!
Wine is definitely one of the best ways to reap the benefits of one-a-day drinking. However, not all wine is equal, and all kinds come with their own pros and cons. Whether you are a fan of red, white, or bubbly, read on to learn the pros and cons of your drink of choice.
Red Wine
Pros: Red wine contains the most reversterol, which are the antioxidant found in wineskin. This makes up the drink’s heart-healthy qualities by preventing blood vessel damage as well as reducing LDL cholesterol. This wine also contains flavonoids, another important antioxidant.
A report in the International drinks trade magazine, The Drinks Business reads…
“A 29-year study into the effects of alcohol and dementia has found that older adults who consume alcohol on a regular basis are more likely to live to the age of 85 without dementia compared with non-drinkers.”
Cons: It is not the most ethical in terms of research-testing. Most of those red-wine-touting studies have been on animals. Also, the amount of wine we’d have to drink to equal the same amount that was given to mice would counteract any of the supposed benefits. Lastly, those 127 calories a glass can add up, even if you are only drinking one a day.
Drinking more than the recommended amount definitely results in a negative effect. The resveratrol responsible for the wine’s anti-aging process makes cells age faster when consumed in high doses.
White Wine
Pros: White wine may be beneficial to your lungs. Research has shown that drinking white wine helps keep lung tissues healthy.
Cons: White wines are the most acidic, meaning they’re the worst for your teeth. In addition, whites contain far less of the heart-healthy and cancer-preventing antioxidants than reds do, and are about the same calories. So, white wine definitely has weaker potential health benefits than red wine does.
Sparkling Wine
Pros: Sparkling wines like champagne actually have the same health benefits as red wine does since bubbly is often made with both red and white grapes. In fact, champagne was found to have as many of those beneficial polyphenols as a cup of hot chocolate. Also, a glass of sparkling contains fewer calories than red or white — 80 vs. around 120.
Cons: Champagne has similar health concerns to other wine, and for many is a common trigger for migraines.
If you don’t already drink wine, then do not start drinking if for the listed benefits. Wine and any alcohol do more harm than good. You can achieve much stronger health benefits through a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, not smoking, and an attentive diet. Also before believing in a research article, look into who’s funding the research. Often companies, like wineries, steer the research in a certain way and hide the big picture to benefit their business.
