Locapour: Drink Wine and Whine Less About Your Health

You know what they say…A glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away

Believe it or not, a glass of wine a day may be beneficial for your health. It won’t cure your ailments, but researchers are slowly finding more and more evidence that shows you can have a glass (or two) of wine a night and reap the benefits of wine’s health-giving properties. Moderation, of course, is the key.

Recently, the New York Daily News published an article debunking myths about wine and its correlation to your health. Among their findings were that red wine is better for you than white wine. Wine contains the compound resveratrol, an antioxidant found in some plants. According to the Mayo Clinic, resveratrol helps fight off bad cholesterol and prevent blood clots. Red wine has more of this antioxidant found in it naturally than white wine. Flavonoids, another powerful antioxidant, are found in red wine as well. 

Looking to really indulge in some resveratrol this week? Try a bottle of Pinot Noir. This food friendly wine boasts aromas of cherries, strawberries, raspberries, nutmeg, and rose petals, and has a greater amount of resveratrol than any other wine, according to the Mayo Clinic. Pinot Noir is produced in Maryland by Elk Run Vineyards, Dove Valley Winery, Black Ankle Vineyards and Cove Point Winery, to name a few.

But maybe some of the best news surrounding red wine is that the resveratrol may also help promote longevity and healthy aging. It is currently being used in studies to slow the progress of Alzheimer’s. Nothing, however, has been officially determined.

White wine, however, may be more beneficial for your heart. In another study, rats were given white wine and had less cardiac damage from a heart attack than rats that only had water or another kind of alcohol.

Since white wine is made from mostly the grape pulp without the skins or seeds, it has a lighter, crisper taste. It doesn’t have as much tannin, natural, sometimes mouth-puckering compounds found in the skin of grapes, as is found in red wine. White wine tends have fewer calories, too, and studies have shown that it helps keep lung tissues healthy.

Need one more reason to drink a glass of wine tonight? Wine is also considered a fat-blocking drink. Researchers at Purdue University found that wine contains a compound that blocks immature fat cells’ ability to grow and develop. If you drink wine daily, you may have a lower body mass than someone who drinks wine occasionally. And to top it off, wine is generally low in calories – only about 20 calories per ounce. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database, a glass of red wine is 125 calories and a glass of white wine is 121 calories. A glass of rosé will be somewhere right in the middle.

If you want the best of both worlds, pop open a bottle of bubbly tonight. Sparkling wine is often made using both red and white grape skins, so you can get the benefits from both. Sparkling wine also has the fewest number of calories – only about 80 per 3-5 ounces. Great sparklers can be found at Cygnus Wine Cellars in Manchester, Carroll County; Great Shoals Winery in Mount Vernon, Somerset County; and Slack Winery in Ridge, St. Mary’s County.

Again, moderation is key. Ask for Maryland wine this week at your local wine shop or restaurant, and start procuring the benefits today. Just remember to always drink responsibly!