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Fall strides across the threshold of a new season with a veritable cornucopia of sensory delights. The air is refreshingly cool and pleasant with the loamy sent of impending arboreal slumber. The green monotony sheds its cocoon and emerges in a patchwork of brilliant yellows, reds, purples, and oranges. It is the historical time of year in which pastoral societies would gather the last of nature’s bounty from the fields, and thin the ranks of the herds; both domestic and wild. Remnants and vestiges of such ritual can be found today across the globe in various feasts, celebrations, and other activities. For many, it remains a religious experience in which water bottles are changed into wine glasses.
The fall grape harvest, or crush, heralds the season with all its augers, portents and promises. And chief among those is the promise of wine; which will be consumed within weeks in the case of Beaujolais nouveau or decades later for Bordeaux, Barolo, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The enjoyment of such a naturally fermented elixir invariably raises the question; can something so good, possibly be good for us?
The data continues to accumulate that for any number of comestibles, wine included, that are composed of real, authentic, wholesome and natural ingredients the benefits extend beyond palate to person. Many studies suggest there is a health benefit associated with the moderate consumption of any alcoholic beverage.
The consumption of ethanol is associated with an increase in HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), a decrease in platelet aggregation, and a reduction in overall systemic inflammation. However the consumption of red wine, which has been extensively studied, suggests that it confers significant additional health benefits; potentially due to its higher concentration of polyphenols. The remainder of this article will focus on red wine; although there is substantial evidence to suggest that white wines confer similar benefits, albeit to a lesser degree.
Here are ten potential health benefits associated with moderate red wine consumption.
1. Cardiovascular disease
The healthful benefits of moderate wine consumption have been shown in both epidemiological studies and clinical trials. Following an observation seen in many physiologic phenomena, the relationship between wine consumption and cardiovascular risk follows a J-shaped pattern. The lowest risk is associated with moderate consumption, after which there exists a linear relationship between pathology and pints. In other words, consuming a small to moderate amount of wine on a regular basis reduces your risk compared to those who abstain. However, after certain point too much of anything can become detrimental. Wine is no exception. And saving up that glass or two a day for a binge on the weekend is never a good idea. Remember that night with tequila shots? Didn’t think so. Case in point.
One recent meta-analysis found that regular wine consumption decreased the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 32%. Atherosclerosis, the process by which blockages in the arteries occurs, is a low intensity, chronic inflammatory process that results in cardiovascular disease. This pathology accounts for the vast majority of strokes and heart attacks seen around the globe. The combination of ethanol and polyphenols found in red wine have been shown to reduce such markers of systemic inflammation as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Such benefit was seen in just 1 to 2 glasses of red wine per day for women, and slightly more for men. The variability between individuals is no doubt influenced not only by genetics, but to a large portion by the metabolism by the gut microbiome (more on that later).
The consumption of fish and seafood has also been strongly correlated to a reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Predominant thought is that this is mediated by the beneficial effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) associated with the consumption of such foodstuffs. These predominantly involve the so-called marine omega-3 PUFAs; eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Although the exact mechanism remains unclear, moderate wine consumption is associated with an increase in EPA and DHA independent of other dietary constituents. With some omega-3 supplements costing over fifty dollars per month, a glass of red wine is not only more palate pleasing, but purse pleasing as well.
Other components of wine have been found to be acutely protective. In animal models of ischemic stroke, the most common kind, those that had received resveratrol suffered significantly less damage than those who had not. Resveratrol is an enriched bioactive polyphenol found in red wine. Researchers found that resveratrol selectively induces the enzyme heme-oxygenase 1 (HO1). The increased levels of this enzyme in the brain significantly reduced the neuron damaged suffered during an ischemic stroke.
2. Stress and Aging
Resveratrol also seems to be protective against stress throughout the entire body. Resveratrol appears to bind to a specific enzyme known as tyrosyl transfer-RNA (tRNA) synthetase or TyrRS. Under stress, the body activates this enzyme and it moves into the nucleus of the cell. There it acts to turn on a particular gene known as PARP-1. This specific gene is known as a survival gene because it plays a role not only in the body stress response, but in DNA repair and aging. In a Christmas light like fashion, turning on PARP-1 also activated a number of other protective genes like FOXO3A and SIRT6, which play a role in aging and longevity. The tumor suppressor gene p53 was also turned on. Based on the research, a few glasses of red wine provide enough resveratrol to flip on our protective survival genes.
At the same time, the components of red wine may crank down the aging process. According to medieval monks, the sacred nectar of Vitis vinifera confirmed longevity. Recent research from Harvard Medical School seem to confirm the good word. According to the senior author Dr., David Sinclair, “Resveratrol improves the health of mice on a high-fat diet and increases life span.” By activating the SIRT1 gene, resveratrol acts to induce mitochondrial biogenesis and protect against metabolic decline. The mitochondria are the engines that keep each cell running smoothly. Moderate red wine consumption may act like a cellular oil change.
It may also act to keep your fuel lines clean and open. Another family of polyphenols found in red wine, procyanidins, are vasoactive. They act to keep the blood vessels open ensuring reliable blood delivery to the organs and a healthy vascular system. They are also present at higher concentrations in wines from areas of southwestern France and Sardinia. These are areas, so called ‘Blue Zones,’ where people live not only longer, but healthier.
It also happens to be where traditional production methods ensure that these compounds are efficiently extracted during vinification. These old-style wines from the Nuoro region of Sardinia and the Gers region (in the Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées region) of South-West France, contain about five times the procyanidins found in comparable wines from Spain, South America, Australia, and the US. This is accomplished by fermenting for three to four weeks versus the more modern method of a single week. Among the wines made this way, those from Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbelio grapes had the highest concentration of procyanidins.
3. Depression
In addition to salvaging neurons and decreasing stress at the cellular level, moderate alcohol consumption might just keep them a little more chipper. While you should never attempt to drink your blues away, it seems that a glass or two of wine a day may prevent them from coming at all. Depression is the most prevalent mental illness worldwide. It is often associated with alcohol consumption. However, a recent European study examined over 5500 men and women at high risk to develop depression. None of the participants suffered from clinical depression at the initiation of the trial. Consumption of anywhere from roughly one-half to one glass of wine per day was associated with a 32% reduction in the risk for developing depression. However, significantly higher use was associated with an increased risk.
