Wine certainly has something of a cache as being a refined and genteel beverage to drink, but is wine good for us or bad?
Why wine could be bad for us
A recent report about a UK government warning says that wine increases risk of mouth cancer. Having more than the recommended daily limits is thought to triple the risk of mouth cancer, warn TV ads. People are now being warned that having 6 or more units of wine a day could also double a person’s chances of developing blood pressure which in turn raises risk of strokes and heart attacks.
The limit for wine should be 4 units per day for men and 3 units or less per day for women. Three units is a glass of wine or 250 ml.
But wine is also good for us
However all of this time, they have been telling us that wine is really good for our health: it is supposed to be a great antioxidant that helps keep us healthy, prevents heart attacks and even perhaps helps you live longer.
Red wine they say also helps to lower the bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol.
Researchers have said that the reason fewer Frenchmen die of heart disease when compared to Americans is because of the amount of red wine that they drink. Additionally wine has traditionally been used as a natural antiseptic, as a sedative as well as a tranquilizer.
It can even impact fertility in both men and women. Excessive wine during pregnancy may also be related to fetal alcohol syndrome.
Then there is the fact that wine is a high calorie drink. The alcohol content in the wine has significant amount of calories, and any sugar in the wine could add to those calories.
Moderation is the key
So clearly there are health benefits of wine and it is one of the healthier beverages that we could have, but the key to deriving those benefits is moderation. Wine is good, but it is good only in moderation. So indulge in this tasty tipple, just keep well within those limits.