Wine keeps your heart healthy

Research shows drinking small amounts of wine everyday is beneficial

Devanshi Joshi. Vadodara/DNA
Friday, December 12, 2008
Consuming small amounts of red and white wine everyday can benefit one's health. According to research conducted by a US-based doctor, the daily consumption of red and white wine with food can prevent obesity, cardiac arrest, hypertension and ageing.Dr Nilanjana Maulik, of the department of surgery at the University of Connecticut's school of medicine in Farmington, was in Vadodara on Thursday to participate in a symposium on translational research in cardiovascular medicine. Dr Maulik, who has authored 140 papers on different subjects, has been studying the effects of wine for the past 10 years. Research conducted by her suggests that white and red wine ward off cardiovascular diseases. “White wine contains tyrosol, which is acts as a cardioprotective, while red wine contains only 6% of alcohol and is made from good quality grapes. So, a combination of white and red wine gives good results. It also controls glucose, and is thus helpful for those with diabetes.” As an anti-oxidant, Tyrosol can protect cells against injury due to oxidation. Its presence in white wine could be responsible for the protective effect, said Dr Maulik, whose team led the research at the University of Connecticut's Health Center in Farmington.She also commented on Gujarat's status as a dry state. “Limited consumption of alcohol can help fight many diseases, and so the state should have a liberal policy regarding wine. Good quality wines cost more and so are less available in India, compared to some countries, such as France,” she said.