All across the world, it is known that red wine, in moderation is good for the heart. Red wine consists of alcohol along with certain other ingredients which can protect against many types of heart diseases and this is why it is believed that drinking red wine can be good for heart patients.
But at the same time, drinking too much doesn’t necessarily increase its positive effects and can rather be harmful not just for the heart but also for the entire body. Red wine contains antioxidants which protect against artery damage. There are many more benefits of red wine for heart health and the following are the major ones:
- One of the most commonly known benefit of red wine for the heart is that it contains alcohol and antioxidants which may help against heart diseases by increasing the levels of the HDL or good cholesterol. The antioxidants also protect against artery damage and this is also another reason why it is recommended in moderation.
- Red wine also contains flavonoids or a substance called resveratrol which too are great for the health of the heart.
- Another benefit which is often associated with the consumption of red wine for the heart is that it contains an antioxidant called polyphenols that can help protect the lining of the blood vessels in your heart.
- The polyphenol called resveratrol present in red wine not only reduces the low density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol but also prevents blood clots. This is another reason why having red wine every now and then isn’t considered harmful and is infact beneficial for the heart.
- Resveratrol has also shown to protect from obesity and diabetes which too are strong risk factors for heart disease. This research has not yet been done on humans but on animals but is a possible benefit of red wine.
- Resveratrol is also linked to the reduction of risk in inflammation and blood clotting, both of which can also lead to heart disease.
- The flavonoids as well as the resveratrol present in red wine may play an important and active role in limiting the start as well as the progression of atherosclerosis. This disease begins or starts when the blood vessels lose their natural ability to relax. The alcohol and the polyphenolic compounds present in red wine help to maintain the healthy blood vessels by promoting the formation of nitric oxide. This nitric oxide has further many benefits such as protection against vascular injury, limitation in the activation of platelets, elimination of adhesion of inflammatory cells to the walls of the vessels and others.
- Another benefit of having red wine in moderation on a regular basis is the hindrance in the plaque formation which is done by the phenolic substances that are found in this drink. Plaque formation can be unhealthy for the heart and its elimination is thus considered good.
- The polyphonic compounds as well as the alcohol content in red wine have anti clotting as well as anti thrombotic properties.
