Every woman (or man!) knows that kicking back with with a glass of red wine after a long and adventures day is a fabulous way to distress. The best part of it is that your red-wine 'habit' also happens to come with some happy health benefits, such as improving your mental and physical health and even, believe it or not, slimming your waistline. Here are the reasons why red wine is good for you..
1. Lowers cholesterol - high-fibre Tempranillo red grapes, which are used to make certain red wines, like Rioja, may actually have a significant effect on cholesterol levels, according to a study from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain.
2. Jazz up dinner - who said your red wine consumption has to be limited to the glass? You can include the drink in your dinner, either as a sauce or complimentary ingredient.
3. Protects your heart - the antioxidants in red wine can help keep blood vessels flexible and reduce the risk of unwanted clotting.
4. Boosts brain function - resveratrol may also be the key to keeping your memory sharp, try flexing your noodle by doing crossword puzzles and brain teasers for an hour then cool down with a glass of wine.
5. Controls blood sugar - the skin of red grapes, a rich source of red wine's natural compound resveratrol, may actually help diabetics regulate their blood sugar. Researchers suspect that resveratrol may help stimulate insulin secretion or activate a protein that helps regulate glucose and insulin sensitivity.
6. Prevents cancer - the resveratrol you get from drinking one glass of red wine three or four times a week may be enough to starve any nascent cancer cells. The scientists dosed human cancer cells with resveratrol and found that the compound inhibited the key action of a cancer-feeding protein.
7. Fight off a cold - the antioxidants in red wine help keep you healthy and cold-free. Antioxidants are believed to fight infection and protect cells against the effects of free radicals, which may play role in cancer and other diseases.
