Red wine Healthy: A glass of red wine a day: yes or no?A glass of red wine in the evening does no harm. On the contrary: Red wine should even healthy be beneficial for health. This is a widespread opinion. But is this true or is it an alcohol myth?? We clarify.
Red wine healthy: wine as a medicine
Not only since yesterday many people believe that red wine is healthy. Already thousands of years ago red wine was attributed a positive effect on health. As a medicine resp. Remedy, it was z.B. already 400 v. Chr. used by none other than Hippocrates. And it had to know it nevertheless finally. After all, Hippocrates was the most famous doctor of the whole antiquity. He attributed to the wine disinfecting. Calming effect to. In addition, he and many of his representatives were already at that time of the opinion that red wine is wonderfully suitable, in order to relieve pain.
This did not change even in ancient Rome. On the contrary, the Romans probably used red wine even more specifically against diseases and health ailments, z.B. against gastrointestinal diseases. The healthy effect attributed to wine was also used in another way: the Romans often used poultices soaked in red wine for open, bleeding wounds.
Red wine: healthy for the human body?
Regardless of these cultural habits and ways of dealing with this type of alcohol: the thesis that red wine is healthy is still widespread in society today. Everything only rumors and a myth? Or is there really something to the described effects on the human body? One thing is certain: according to health portals, many scientific studies have already proven that red wine can actually be healthy. Prerequisite: It is consumed in small quantities.
The thesis that red wine is healthy is still widespread in society today. (#01)
The studies were able to prove that moderate consumption can have prophylactic, i.e. preventive effects. Especially what possible heart-. Brain infarcts concerns. Reason: the wine neutralizes free radicals, this protects against vascular diseases. This in turn prevents arteries from calcifying all too quickly. Alcohol slows down or. partly even prevents the arteriosclerosis. And thus one of the main causes for the development of a heart attack. Here, therefore, one can actually attest it a healthy effect.
Responsible for beneficial effect: phenol
Scientists attribute this positive effect on the human body primarily to one ingredient: phenol. Phenol is not only a product of metabolism u.a. of carbohydrates and fats. It is also a secondary plant substance, part of which is contained in the juice and pulp of the grape berry. Phenol determines to a large extent the smell, taste and the color of the later wine.
The phenol also has an antibacterial and antioxidant influence. In other words: it is healthy or. responsible for those prophylactic effects described above. Thus for the positive effects with the course of heart and cycle illnesses. By the way: this ingredient is also decisive for the differences between red and white wine.
Red wine: Only healthy in moderation or. as a preventive measure
Healthy or. However, wine is only effective as a preventive measure if it is drunk in moderation. (#02)
Healthy or. preventively effective, however, the wine is only if it is drunk in moderation. But what does the phrase "in moderation" actually mean?? The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends u.a. about their newsletter to abstain completely from alcohol for one or two days each week. So also on the so popular glass of red wine in the evening. The Deutsche Hauptstelle fur Suchtfragen (German Central Office for Addiction Ies) (a federation of associations active in addiction support and prevention) states that men consume approx. 20 to 24 grams of pure alcohol daily without hesitation to take can. This corresponds to about half a liter of beer or 0.25 liter of wine, i.e. the proverbial obligatory "glass" of wine.
Women, on the other hand, should consume even less according to the associations' recommendation. The Central Office for Addiction Ies recommends half of what men should drink per day at most (for women: 0.25 liters of beer, 0.125 liters of wine). Always provided that the person concerned is someone who is healthy. Anyone who drinks more is not doing their health any favors. The health-promoting effect can be reversed, the consequence can be u.a. be severe liver damage.
Study refutes positive effect of alcohol
The investigations and studies carried out over the years with the result of the health-promoting influence proved all those right who had always believed in the glass of red wine. And its positive consequences for health. So it was easy to suspect that with moderate alcohol consumption in conjunction with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise, one's own life expectancy could be significantly increased.
But disillusionment spread among all those at the beginning of 2015. The findings of a group of scientists from University College London (UCL) caused a sensation at the time. Many German media also reported on the study at the time, u.a. Spiegel Online at 11.02.2015. Over a ten-year period, the researchers had collected data from more than 18.000 English people of advanced age, evaluated. The data provided information about the drinking behavior of the respondents. The core message of the study: The often described positive effect of alcohol, which was supposedly proven over all these years, was merely the result of faulty statistics.
Wine healthy: researchers doubt preventive effect
Each of the approximately 18,000 participants in the study, provided information about their drinking behavior – over a ten year period. Thus, the scientists obtained u.a. Information about what was drunk in what quantities and how often. Of the subjects, more than 4,000 died during those ten years. The participants included both alcoholics and drug addicts. As well as people with moderate drinking behavior. But also non-alcoholics were among the test persons. In other words, people who usually live healthy lives, abstain completely from the nerve agent, and instead often pay attention to a balanced, varied diet.
The result, when the researchers directly matched the deceased participants with drinking behavior, was startling: drinking behavior had no effect whatsoever on the deaths. Regardless of whether the deceased was a moderate or non-drinker. The moderate drinkers therefore did not have a longer life.
Drinking patterns had no effect on deaths at all. (#03)
Only complete abstinence from alcohol is healthy
In the end, the scientists were of the same opinion. Alcohol would not prolong life, moreover, statistical errors in earlier studies would have ensured that the fairy tale of health-promoting alcohol could prevail and spread. One of the mistakes: in earlier studies of non-drinkers, no attention was ever paid to the reason why this group of people had a tendency to drink alcoholic beverages such as beer, red wine, etc., renounced. That's why many dry alcoholics have been wrongly lumped into the group of non-drinkers. These had a significantly shorter life expectancy due to their years of consumption and the consequences.
All in all, it is probably the healthiest way to live who abstains from alcohol and pays attention to a healthy diet and sufficient exercise. However, it is not necessary to go without a glass of Bordeaux or Chardonnay seven days a week.