There are some absolutely delicious red wines and red wine blends available to suit every palate, but that doesn’t mean everyone should enjoy a tipple.
Heart disease
Scientists believe the polyphenols found in red grapes’ skin are cardioprotective.
The Copenhagen City Heart Study tracked more than 13,000 people over 12 years and found those who drank 3-5 glasses of wine a day had half the risk of dying from coronary heart disease or stroke as those who never drank.
Canadian cardiologists analysed more than 13 studies to find red wine drinkers had 32 per cent less atherosclerosis than non-drinkers.
Did you know white wine drinkers pour 9.2 percent more vino into their glasses than red wine drinkers?
Will any old red do?
Initial studies by London researchers suggest cabernet sauvignon may be the most effective at protecting against heart disease.
All reds suppress endothelin-1, a protein in blood vessels that leads to hardening of the arteries, but the polyphenols in cab sav more than halve its production.
Heart disease is more than one condition. The term cardiovascular disease is more descriptive: it covers any problem that affects the heart, veins and arteries anywhere in the body.
Longevity
Harvard researchers have found that resveratrol switches on an enzyme that slows the ageing process, extending the life of yeast cells by as much as 70 per cent.
If the same process is found to work as well in humans, researchers believe this may extend the average human life span by up to ten years.
So how can you feel – and look – younger at any age? Often it starts with a single word…