In honor of Paw Paw’s wonderful Wine & Harvest Festival this past weekend, I decided to talk a little about the health benefits of drinking wine! Yup, I said it, there are many health benefits of drinking red wine, and since we live in Michigan’s beautiful wine country it’s pretty easy to snag a good bottle of red at a decent price.

Red Wine contains many antioxidants which can help clear up free radicals in your body that play a role in aging and age-related diseases. Drinking wine can significantly lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. The antioxidant called reservatrol in wine can help protect the lining of blood vessels in the heart, while also increasing levels of HDLs (the good cholesterol) and lowering the LDLs (the bad guys). It can help protect against artery damage and prevent blood clots.

Wow, pretty cool huh?

Many studies are currently being done to see exactly what the benefits of red wine are, and how much/little you need to drink to obtain those. In general, people who drink wine on a regular basis, tend to have lower stress levels which is also beneficial. Most people who drink red wine regularly tend to follow a Mediterranean diet consisting of fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, seafood, greek yogurt, and olive oil. This diet is more of a lifestyle which often includes drinking red wine with dinner. Many studies have shown people who follow this lifestyle live longer, healthier lives. I don’t think one thing in particular causes all these health benefits, but a combination of them. Making better, smarter food choices for your family can immensely increase your health and well being!

Now I have to say this before signing off: obviously drinking TOO MUCH ALCOHOL CAN BE BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH! I’m recommending to add a glass of red to your dinners a few times a week. (And by glass I mean 6-8ounces, not a bottle) As always, if you are taking medications, be sure to check with you prescribing physician before consuming alcohol, and don’t drink wine and drive!

 Now, light some candles, cook a healthy meal, uncork a bottle of your favorite St. Julian’s red, and get rid of that daily stress! Your skin and your heart might appreciate it!