A Glass Of Red Wine Every Night Is Good For You Because Science

I’m going to be completely honest with you guys for a second… I’m not a huge fan of wine. I know, I know! How dare I say such a thing! But seriously, I’ve given it a chance on a number of occasions and I just don’t get what the big deal is. Perhaps I’ll come to enjoy a glass of Merlot or Pinot one day, but for now, I’ll just continue to take the word of others who can’t get enough of it.

Okay, now that my deep, dark secret is out, it’s time to get down to business: even though I don’t like how it tastes, I probably should be drinking wine — for health reasons. That’s right! All of you winos out there can rejoice because your favorite bevy has some serious benefits!

For example, in 2015, a study conducted by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel found that a glass of wine with dinner is the perfect, healthy amount for certain people.

The research was conducted using 224 individuals with controlled type-2 diabetes, and focused on their safety when it came to moderate alcohol consumption.

Researchers chose this particular group of people because they’re more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and have lower levels of HDL cholesterol, which helps protect the heart.

During the study, participants were asked to follow a Mediterranean diet and drink five ounces of mineral water, dry white wine, or dry red wine with dinner every night.

Results showed that red wine positively increased HDL cholesterol compared to water, and those who drank either red or white wine had higher sleep quality.

However, even if you aren’t someone who lives with type 2 diabetes, there are still plenty of health benefits that come from drinking wine that you can take advantage of!

According to Julia Zumpano, who works for Cleveland Clinic’s Heart and Vascular Institute, red wine has fewer calories than beer and mixed drinks. It’s also loaded with antioxidants.

Red wine also has the ability to lower one’s risk of coronary artery disease, diabetes, congestive heart failure, and stroke.

In fact, James O’Keefe of the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas had a grandmother who lived to be 103 years old! Her secret? Happy hour!

“The key to a long, healthy life is to not drink too much, but then again, don’t drink too little either.”

h/t Time

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