Top 5 Health Benefits of Drinking Wine

5. Reduces Heart-Attack Risk

For those of you who thought it was a myth that wine is a key ingredient to a heart healthy diet, a 16 year Harvard School of Public Health study proves this is fact. The study of 11,711 men showed that moderate wine drinkers who suffer from high blood pressure are 30 percent less likely to have a heart attack than nondrinkers. The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, 2007.

4. Provides anti-aging effects

The secret to my youthful skin is...well, black don't crack. But in addition to good genes, wine has contributed greatly! Red wine can help your skin look better and slow the effects of aging, such as wrinkles, frown lines, and crow's feet. This is because antioxidants soak up damaging free radicals that cause aging and age-related diseases. Wine and grape derivatives can also help minimize the damaging effects of UV rays from overexposure to the sun. For all my fellow SoCal beach bums, you're welcome!

3. Protects teeth

I know, you just do not believe that wine is also the secret to my smile. But it is true that red wine and grape seed extracts help remove certain types of bacteria from teeth. A glass of red wine may kill dangerous bacteria in your mouth that are known to cause dental diseases such as cavities and gingivitis.

2. Helps prevent breast cancer

Regular consumption of most alcoholic drinks increases the risk of breast cancer. However, based on research performed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, red wine intake has the opposite effect.

In the Journal of Women's Health, the scientists explained that chemicals in the skins and seeds of red grapes reduce estrogen levels while raising testosterone in premenopausal women - which results in a lower risk of developing breast cancer.

According to the authors, it is not only red wine that has the beneficial compounds, but it is the raw material - red grape. So ladies, when choosing an alcoholic drink to consume, consider red wine!

1. Reduces stress

I will be honest, as a working woman in the finance industry; stress is the number one factor that can hinder my day to day happiness. But I can also be the first to vouch that wine drinkers tend to have less stress in their lives, when wine is consumed moderately, of course. Studies have found there is an association between moderate alcohol intake and lower levels of depression, anxiety and perceived stress. My own personal experiences have proven that red wine drastically lowers levels of anxiety in high pressure environments, so drink up and calm down!

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Happy National Drink Wine Day!

-body by JA