What Do The French Know To Help Your 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 already have 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
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