Research has found that drinking red wine in moderation can be good for your heart. However, consuming too much red wine, or any type of alcohol, is particularly bad for your heart and can increase your risk of heart disease.
Here is what you should know about the heart benefits of red wine and how much is considered healthy.
Yes, red wine can be heart healthy.
The link between red wine and a healthy heart may be due to the high level of micronutrients, called polyphenols, found in the skin and seeds of grapes.
During the production process, red wine is fermented with grape skins and seeds for a longer period of time than white wine, which means that polyphenols are much more concentrated. For example, a glass of red wine contains about 10 times more polyphenols than a glass of white wine.
These polyphenols, especially a polyphenol called resveratrol, have been shown to protect and support heart health.
Red wine can lower cholesterol.
The polyphenols in red wine have antioxidant properties. This means that they prevent or reduce the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), the “bad” type of cholesterol molecules that we carry in our bloodstream.
When LDL oxidizes, it accumulates in the walls of our arteries and narrows them, so that less blood and oxygen can reach the heart. This can cause coronary heart disease, the most common type of heart disease and the leading cause of death in the United States.
Moderate consumption of red wine can also increase the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or the “good cholesterol” in our blood, which is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. HDL cholesterol is good because it helps remove excess LDL cholesterol from the blood vessels.
For example, a small controlled study published in the journal Atherosclerosis in 2006 found that after drinking 400 ml (about two or three glasses) of red wine every day for six weeks, LDL cholesterol decreased by 8% in postmenopausal women who they had high LDL levels, while HDL cholesterol increased by 17%.
Another study published in 2005 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that four weeks of moderate red wine consumption daily – 300 ml for men and 200 ml for women – increased HDL cholesterol levels by more than drinking nonalcoholic wine. . -equivalent dose of red grape extract tablets with water.
Red wine can help prevent blood clots.
Some research has found that drinking red wine can decrease platelet aggregation, which can also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Platelets are small cells in our blood that join around damaged blood vessels when we get injured. This clotting is what keeps us from bleeding and helps us heal when we get a minor cut.
However, when platelets are added too much, they can form blood clots. Blood clots are serious because they can block the flow of blood and oxygen to vital organs, increasing the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
By reducing the adherence of platelets in the blood, red wine can help prevent blood clots and reduce the risk of health complications. For example, a 2002 study published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine measured platelet aggregation levels in male volunteers after moderate wine consumption and found that they were significantly inhibited.
How much red wine is good for your heart
To receive the heart health benefits of red wine, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than one drink a day for women and two a day for men. For reference, one drink equals five ounces, or 140 ml of wine.
Drinking too much wine, or any type of alcohol in excess, is very bad for your heart, says Robert A. Kloner MD, PhD, Director of Science at the Huntington Institutes of Medical Research in Pasadena, California and professor of medicine at the University of the Southern California.
This is because excess alcohol can cause high blood pressure and raise triglyceride levels, increasing the risk of heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.
Drinking excessively can also lead to heart failure, a disease that makes it difficult for your heart to pump blood around your body, and atrial fibrillation, which is a type of arrhythmia where the heart beats quickly and irregularly.
Read more to learn how different levels of alcohol consumption affect the heart.
Takeaway
Drinking multiple glasses of red wine throughout the week can be part of a heart-healthy lifestyle. But in general, you shouldn’t drink more than one or two glasses each night.
Also, it is important to note that there are many other foods that contain the polyphenols found in red wine, which can have the same heart health benefits. For example, you can find resveratrol in grape juice, peanuts, cocoa, blueberries, and blueberries.
You don’t need to drink red wine to have a healthy heart. But, if you like to drink red wine, the good news is that it may have some heart benefits, just be sure to drink in moderation.
