We all have that friend who is obsessed with wine, the one who can actually taste notes of blackberry and oak while we're proud of ourselves for recognizing that it's a Cabernet
Well, it turns out your wine snob friend may be on to something. Wine has long been thought to be beneficial for our health, so long as it's consumed in moderation
Usually red wine gets all the attention, but studies have also shown that white wine may have the same health benefits
Of course, it's not all sunshine and grapes. If you usually enjoy a glass of wine after winding down from a long day
here's what you need to know about how that daily glass of vino is impacting your body
Lifespan boost Enjoying a nightly glass of wine may lead to a longer life
Research shows that regular wine drinkers have a 34% lower rate of mortality than their beer or liquor-drinking buds
And if you're living longer, you may as well look younger while you're at it, right? You can thank the researchers at Harvard Medical School for this one
The compound resveratrol, which is found in red wine, has been linked to having anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties
If you're not a wine drinker, you can still reap the benefits. In addition to finding this compound in red wine
you can also get it from eating grapes, blueberries, cranberries, and nuts. Resveratrol activates an anti-aging pathway in the body that leads to a longer lifespan
so drink up. However, this link is only found in moderate drinkers, so regularly drinking an entire bottle by yourself might be more fun but less beneficial Doctors say a glass of wine a day can extend your life Cheers
Sunburn Stopper Another way your glass of wine can make you look younger
is that it protects your skin from the sun. A Spanish study in the Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry
found that the antioxidants in wine can help prevent the chemical reaction UV ray exposure causes to the human body
Flavonoids, the antioxidants found in grapes, can stop the chemical process that kills skin cells and leads to sunburn
So the next time you and your friends are enjoying margaritas on the beach, reach for a nice red wine instead
Heart healthy Red wine has long been thought to protect our hearts because it contains tannins
which have procyanidins that protect against heart disease. Tannins are the compounds in wine that are responsible for that dry taste
To get the most procyanidin bang for your buck, stick with wines from southwest France
These antioxidants in wine have been proven to raise our HDL cholesterol. This is the good cholesterol, so we want that number to be high
If you have high blood pressure, a nightly glass of wine may be just what the doctor ordered
Of those dealing with high blood pressure, it's the moderate drinkers who are 30% less
likely to suffer a heart attack than those who don't drink at all. Sugar solution
If you've been having trouble managing your diabetes, relaxing with a glass of wine could
actually help. In fact, a nightly glass of wine could even prevent the condition
Studies show that moderate drinkers have a 30 lower chance of developing type 2 diabetes and that having a nightly glass of red wine is also safe for most diabetics Just make sure to not exceed that limit And look what I brought Juice boxes Huh
Our fictional BFFs Karen Walker and Olivia Pope might say otherwise, but less is more when it comes to wine as medicine
Happy times We all tend to feel a little more relaxed after a glass of wine. The stresses of the day melt
away as we sit at dinner with our friends and family, enjoying good conversation and great wine
It turns out those good feelings last way beyond dinner. According to a study in BMC Medicine, moderate wine drinkers may be protective against depression
Drinking two to seven glasses of wine per week is associated with lower rates of depression
However, once your drinking goes from moderate to too much, the chances of feeling depressed
actually go up, because heavy drinking is associated with high rates of depression
So keep the good vibes flowing with a few glasses of wine per week. Cancer prevention
We've all heard the research about red wine and heart disease prevention, but the cancer
news is pretty exciting, too. Regular drinking usually puts people at a higher risk for cancer, but there's one exception
to that rule — red wine. Moderate red wine drinking has been linked to lower rates of breast cancer
The chemicals found in the skins of red grapes have been found to reduce estrogen levels and increase testosterone levels in premenopausal women
It's this shift in hormones that can lower the risk for breast cancer. These magic little red wine chemicals are much higher in red grapes than in green, so
if you like to enjoy a cocktail with dinner grab a bottle of Pinot Noir instead Brain Games Too many glasses of wine can leave your brain feeling a little fuzzy but one with dinner is just right Having that nightly wine may even protect your brain from a blood clot or bleed
People who drink one or two drinks per night have an 8% lower risk of having a stroke
However, don't go crazy. Heavy drinkers having at least four drinks per night
have a 14% increased risk of stroke than those who don't drink or only drink occasionally
A glass of red wine with dinner may also put you at lower risk for dementia
Moderate red wine drinkers have a 23% lower risk of developing dementia than those who don't drink
Aging out the benefits Unfortunately, in addition to wrinkles and reading glasses, older adults have another
bummer to consider. All of those benefits from red wine don't help the elderly. In fact
even just one glass per day can be damaging. Research has found that elderly women
averaging age 76, who have one glass of wine per day, show small reductions in heart function
This is due to the increased size of the wall of one of the heart chambers. So enjoy it while you're young, kids
Bottom line on Bottoms Up While a nightly glass of red wine certainly seems like it could be a part of a healthy
lifestyle, don't feel like you have to drink every day. Both the American Heart Association
and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute do not recommend drinking solely for heart health
Plus, alcohol can be addictive and drinking too much leads to major health problems. But if you can imbibe safely, it looks like there are at least some benefits beyond the buzz
So cheers to that