Written by Catherine Saxelby
on Friday, 14 March 2014.
Tagged: alcohol, antioxidants, healthy eating
A. All alcohol, including red wine, has risks and benefits. In small quantities - which means one glass a day for women - red wine is beneficial for your heart, thanks to its high level of grape antioxidants known as polyphenols. The French Paradox has proven that red wine is a 'heart protector' even when your diet is high in saturated fat from cheese, pate and pastries.
But too much can raise blood pressure, triglycerides and your weight - none of which is good for heart health.
And any type of alcohol can increase your risk of cancer, even in small amounts, according to the Cancer Council.
Enjoy a glass of red wine every day or every second day but keep your intake to one or two glasses at most. Drink with food and have two alcohol-free days per week.
Polyphenols in red wine may protect omega-3s in blood plasma, leading to a healthier heart, according to Italian researchers from the University of Milan. The researchers found that the wine polyphenols increased the resistance to peroxidation of the omega-3 DHA and EPA more than that of the omega-6 AA. During oxidation, the red wine polyphenols also delayed the increase of the ratio between arachidonate and eicosapentaenoate. Read a summary of the research from Food Research International.
Catherine Saxelby has the answers! She is an accredited nutritionist, blogger and award-winning author. Her award-winning book My Nutritionary will help you cut through the jargon. Do you know your MCTs from your LCTs? How about sterols from stanols? What’s the difference between glucose and dextrose? Or probiotics and prebiotics? What additive is number 330? How safe is acesulfame K? If you find yourself confused by food labels, grab your copy of Catherine Saxelby’s comprehensive guide My Nutritionary NOW!
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