National Red Wine Day: The Heart-Healthy Benefits of Red Wine

Red wine lovers have yet another reason to celebrate this year — a day of national recognition for their favorite libation! National Red Wine Day is on August 28. Many red wine drinkers also celebrate the potential health benefits red wine may have on their hearts. Others worry that drinking red wine may increase their risk for health problems.

While too much alcohol can have harmful effects on your body, doctors agree that something in red wine seems to help your heart.

The Connection between Red Wine and Cardiovascular Health

The idea that red wine could be good for your heart began in the late 1980s with the “French Paradox,” in which scientists noted that the people of France had a relatively low incidence of heart disease despite their consumption of foods high in dietary fat and cholesterol.

Wine is an optional component of the Mediterranean Diet, which is a heart-healthy diet that focuses on fruits, vegetables, pasta, rice, and very little meat.

The results of many studies suggest that drinking red wine can improve cardiovascular health. Many of these studies point to the antioxidants in red wine. Antioxidants are substances that inhibit oxidation that cause free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage body cells to cause disease.

The incidence of heart disease is lower in people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol, according to the American Heart Association, which defines moderate consumption as no more than one 4-oz glass of wine per day for women and no more than two glasses per day for men.

Consuming more alcohol than that actually increases your risk for high blood pressure and stroke. Imbibing too often or drinking too much can also cause an irregular heartbeat.

Certain people are more vulnerable to health risks associated with regular consumption of red wine. Those with a history of alcohol abuse or alcoholism should not drink wine, of course, and people with liver disease or certain other diseases should avoid alcohol. Drinking alcohol may cause muscle aches in people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. Wine also contains sugar and calories, which are concerns for people with diabetes or who are trying to lose weight.

Give your heart a reason to celebrate this National Red Wine Day with a heart scan to determine if your heart is healthy enough to drink red wine. Optimize your health and contact Virtual Imaging, Inc. today and schedule a scan for cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and colon cancer.