Limit consumption: Excessive drinking is not beneficial for everyone. Too much alcohol will reverse any benefits you receive and automatically make them health risks. The safe and effective guideline is:

• Men should not exceed more than 2 drinks daily
• Women should not to exceed more than 1 drink daily

Note: A 5-ounce glass of red or white wine is defined as one drink.

Wine Chemistry and Health
Contained in wine are nonalcoholic phytochemicals, and within those phytochemicals, are flavonoids and red wine has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers and slow the progression of neurological degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.

Nonalcoholic phytochemicals in wine, such as flavanoids and resveratrol, act as antioxidants and prevent cellular damage to the body. There is more resveratrol in red wine than white, which is why red wine is more beneficial to your heart. The reason is because of the antioxidants are higher in the seeds and skin of red grapes, and white grapes are peeled of their skins before the fermentation process, unlike the red grapes.

These antioxidants promote heart health and prevent heart disease in three ways:

• Decreases the creation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (aka “bad” cholesterol)
• Increases high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (“good “cholesterol)
• Lowers the risk of blood clots.

Additionally, drinking a glass of wine with a meal can enhance your lipid profiles after the meal.

So is it the antioxidant in wine, how the wine is consumed or lifestyle that is the reason for the long lives of many wine consumers? Either way, the studies point to a regular, moderate consumption of red wine can beneficial to your heart health. So the next time you are having a glass of wine, toast to your healthy heart.

Who Drinks Non Alcoholic Wine

Lots of people including pregnant women, designated drivers, and folks under certain types of medical restrictions are delighted to find an alcohol-free alternative. There are also a lot of people who just don’t like the taste of alcohol or its after affects. Given that there is a tiny bit of alcohol left after the alcohol-free wine is distilled, it is not a great choice for people who abstain for religious reasons.

A Healthy Choice

It may surprise you to find that non alcoholic wine may be better for your health than alcoholic wine. Non alcoholic wine:

• Contains fewer calories, in some cases, only about a fourth of calories of alcoholic wines. Alcohol is fairly high in calories and definitely is not the dieter’s friend.
• Offers the same antioxidants including resveratrol that many consider to be good for overall health and well-being.

How Alcohol-Free Wine is Made
You may be surprised to find that the process of making non alcoholic wine is pretty much the same as the process of making other wines – with one big exception. After the wine is made, it is distilled and most of the alcohol is removed before the wine is bottled. According to federal regulation a beverage (wine or beer) must have less that one half of one percent alcohol to be labeled non alcoholic. Even though the alcohol content is less than 0.5%, the wine will still be flavorful. Like any other beverage, some folks love it while others hate it.

Red or White Wine?
You are going to have a lot of different choices whenever it comes to the type of non alcoholic wine that you would like to have at your function. Just like regular wine, the main choices are going to be either red or white. Within those two choices, however, you’re going to have an almost infinite number of decisions that you are going to need to make. Knowing what type of food you are going to be serving at the party will also help you choose the best non alcoholic wine for your party. Alcohol-free wine is relatively new, so don’t expect to find any all star vintages. However, some of these wines have won accolades at local or regional competitions.

Search Online

Instead of simply picking up something off of the shelf and hoping that it works out for you, make sure that you take the time to read reviews ahead of time to see what other people have had to say about various alcohol-free wines. While there’s lots of information online about all types of wine including organic and non alcoholic types, it’s no substitute for talking to an experienced wine dealer. If possible, try to taste any alcohol-free wine before you buy it to serve to your guests.

Researchers have found that red wines rich in flavonoids are best for our health. Flavonoids are best known for their antioxidant qualities and help the body resist such maladies as allergens, viruses and carcinogens.

Red wines also contain anxioxidants, which help the body resist cancer and cardiovascular disease. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Syrah and Pinot Noir contain the highest concentrations of antioxidants and flavonoids.

Other red wines such as Merlots and red zinfandels contain fewer flavonoids, but more than most white wines. So, the best bet for drinking wine for our health is to stick to the dryer red wines. Just because wine contains components that are central to good health doesn’t give us a free rein to get plastered every night. Don’t overdo it — but adding a glass of wine to your daily diet can definitely make a difference to our health.

Of course, as with anything one consumes, there are risks. Many wines contain sulfites to which a small percentage of the population is sensitive. And wine, though absent fat and cholesterol, does contain sugars and small quantities of sodium — and, of course, alcohol. It doesn’t take much to become too much.

Paracelsus, the noted 16th-century Swiss physician wrote, “Wine is a food, a medicine and a poison – it’s just a question of dose.” As with almost any food or drink, wine consumed in large doses can be a detriment to our health.

Most health officials agree that one or two four-ounce glasses of wine per day can be beneficial to men, while women should limit their consumption to one four ounce serving per day.

The Wine Diet

British cardiovascular expert, Professor Roger Corder, has spent years studying the evidence of health benefits from red wine. In his forth-coming book, The Wine Diet ” he says he is convinced that most of us should include red wine in our every day lifestyle.

Corder discovered what he eventually labeled the “French Paradox.” Specifically, he wondered why the French have a lower rate of heart disease despite the fact that their diet was extremely rich in fats. He concentrated his research on the southwest portion of France, where life expectancy seemed to be highest.

Professor Corder discovered that the region produces very tannic local wines, which contain the highest procyanidin (antioxidant) content of any wines, worldwide. This led him to further research on the amazing medical benefits of red wine.

While wine may not be man’s ultimate elixir or fountain of youth, it certainly behooves us to consider adding a glass of wine or two to our daily diet – and raise a “toast” to our continued good health.

Related resources:

• Meet the Author video interview with Professor Corder