The health benefits of wine have been touted for years; however, they have also been highly contested. While some people decide to focus on the negative effects of alcohol, others exaggerate the health benefits of drinking wine in moderation to ridiculous degrees. Here, we give you the straight up truth with our list of the top eight health benefits of drinking wine. So sit down, grab a glass (or two) of wine, and dig in!
Number Eight: Increased Longevity. People who drink wine have a 34 percent lower rate of mortality than people who drink beer or other spirits! Though this doesn’t mean wine drinkers have a 34 percent lower mortality rate than people who don’t drink at all, it is evidence that wine is better for you than beer or liquor.
Number Seven: Reduced Risk of Heart Attacks. In fact, one 2006 study found that people who have high blood pressure but are moderate drinkers are 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack than people who have high blood pressure but don’t drink at all.
Number Six: Reduced Risk of Heart Disease. The tannins in red wine contain procyanidins, which are compounds that can actually protect your body against heart disease. If you want to maximize the procyanidins you drink, try and drink wine from Sardinia and southwest France.
Number Five: Reduced Risk of Type 2 Diabetes. A study published in 2005 discovered that people who drink in moderation have a 30 percent less chance of developing Type 2 Diabetes than people who don’t drink at all.
Number Four: Reduced Risk of Stroke. A Columbia University study found that the likelihood of suffering a blood clot-related stroke is lowered by 50 percent in people who drink in moderation. The study looked at people over a period of eight years and was published in 2006.
Number Three: Reduced Risk of Cataracts. One study found that people who drink wine are 43 percent less likely to develop cataracts than people who mostly drink beer. In general, moderate drinks are 32 percent less likely to develop cataracts than people who don’t drink at all.
Number Two: Reduced Risk of Colon Cancer. Consuming red vino is especially helpful in decreasing your risk of colon cancer. One study found that drinking red wine regularly can decrease your risk of developing colon cancer by 45 percent.
Number One: Slower Decline of Brain Function. It’s no secret that the rate at which your brain processes information slows down as you get older. However, you can slow that decline by drinking! One study found that brain function declines at a much slower rate in people who drink than in people who don’t drink. Cheers!