Superdrink of the Week: Vino
PIN IT!
I’m a very big fan of wine , but that is not the only reason I’m featuring it as this week’s superfood! Wine, besides being full of feel good elixers, is also full of added health benefits if drank in moderation. This drink is good for happy hours and a healthy heart! Now, this doesn’t mean you can drink a bottle a night and assume your reaping the health benefits. Like all alcohol, wine needs to be drank in moderation. But who knew one glass could provide so much good for our minds and body? [as well as our social life!]
Cardiovascular health
A type of phytochemical in wine, known as resveratrol, has been shown to prevent blood clotting and plaque formation in arteries, which works to keep blood flowering normally in and out of the heart.
According to MSNBC Today, findings from a recent study suggest that resveratrol can also produce anti-thrombotic agents that work to improve your cardiovascular health and lower the risk for fatal heart disease. Also, studies done in animals have shown that the same phytochemical resveratrol reduced tumor incidence.
Resveratrol also lowers the “bad” cholesterol [LDL] in your body, as well as works to prevent damage in your blood vessels.
Red Vs. White
Not both varieties of wine carry the same amount of resveratol. In fact, red wine had considerably higher concentrations of resveratol, making it the healthiest of the two favorites. Why does red carry more of this powerful chemical? The longer the skin is kept on the grape during the fermentation process, the greater the concentration of resveratrol. When white wine is being made, the skin is removed before fermentation, which prevents the wine from holding onto the higher levels of reveratol.
So pour yourself a glass of red and drink to your heart!
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