Ganoderma
What do the French know to help you heart?
Does red wine protect against heart disease? Maybe.
Many studies
investigated the benefits of red wine suggested that moderate
amount of red wine (one drink a day for women and two drinks a day
for men) lowers the risk of heart attack for people in middle age
by ~ 30 to 50 percent. It is also suggested that alcohol such as
red wine may prevent additional heart attacks if you have already
suffered from one. The compounds found in red wine that are
responsible for its healing powers are antioxidants. Red wines
contain several antioxidants beneficial to good health.
Different
antioxidants have different functions, but the key feature of all
these antioxidants appears to be one of protection and prevention
of disease.
Other studies also indicated that red wine can raise HDL
cholesterol (the Good cholesterol) and prevent LDL cholesterol (the
Bad cholesterol) from forming. Red wine may help prevent blood
clots and reduce the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits.
Indeed, studies showed that people from the Mediterranean region
who regularly drank red wine have lower risks of heart disease.
Here is something very interesting. The French seem to know
something about the health benefits of red wine. In a study that
compared French and German red wines , the French red wines
delivered a greater health benefit due to their higher level of
antioxidants. This may partially account for the "French paradox,"
where studies show that in areas of France where the diet is high
in fat those who drink red wine with meals have a lower incidence
of heart attack than other parts of the world.
Due to vast
differences in diets, the evidence is inconclusive, but experts
believe that red wine contains certain compounds that help protect
the heart. This has opened the door for other researchers to study
the components in red wine that may be responsible for its health
benefits.
Researchers at Northwestern University Medical School have found
that a chemical in red wine believed to help reduce risk for heart
disease is a form of estrogen. The substance, resveratrol, is
highly concentrated in the skin of grapes and is abundant in red
wine.
Resveratrol protects grapes and some other plants against
fungal infections. It has been shown previously to have a number of
potentially beneficial properties, including antioxidant,
anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.
Should I start drinking more red wine now? The answer is no.
Studies showed that alcohol drinking may increase triglycerides
(another bad blood lipids) and result in weight gain due to its
empty calories.
Other studies also suggested that alcohol
consumption is associated with cancer risk. The American Heart
Association cautions people NOT to start drinking if they do not
already drink alcohol.
Interested on this subject? Try this link for more of the
same
Ganoderma Catalogue: Travel & Leisure
Title: What do the French know to help you heart? By: Barry
Hooper
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