Drink Wine, or Decline?
Growing up in a family heavily influenced by my mother’s Sicilian heritage, the drinking of red wine was never a matter of question. My grandfather’s home contained a custom-built wine cellar where he made his own wine from the grapes he grew in his postage stamp-sized garden in Queens, New York. From the time I was old enough to drink from a glass, holiday meals included a “kid beverage” made up of a couple ounces of grandpa’s red wine diluted with 7-Up®. A kiddie wine cooler of sorts, haha!
On the flip side, the lead pastors of the churches I’ve attended for the majority of my life have adhered to the doctrine that Christ-followers should never drink wine…EVER.
Today’s health tip is not meant to spark a theological debate as to whether Christians should drink alcoholic beverages in moderation or rather to choose to live the life of a “Nazarite Lite”, if you will. This, in my opinion, is one of those decisions which the Holy Spirit will need to show YOU what He wants of YOU.
If your personal convictions have landed you on the side of moderate alcohol consumption (medical recommendations are 1 glass/day for women, 2 for men), this information will help you to decide which type of wine you might chose to drink, and whether or not it’s worth the added expense of adding its cost to your monthly grocery bill.
The quick answer as to which type of wine holds the most health benefits—red or white—it’s RED, hands down. This is because red wines contain both resveratrol and proanthocyanidins which are purported to be potentially health-promoting, disease-inhibiting chemicals. Here’s a list of the numerous benefits which researchers are finding to be associated with moderate red wine consumption.
Better Heart Health
- Lowers risk of cardiovascular disease
- Lowers bad cholesterol (LDLs)
- Increases blood levels of Omega-3 fatty acids
- Lowers blood pressure
Reduces Risk of Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease
- Leaves antioxidant compounds in our gut which can protect our brain cells from becoming damaged or destroyed.
- Also, may decrease the risk of Parkinson’s disease.
Improves Bacterial Environment in Your Gut
- Red wine may have more of a pre-biotic effect, helping improve the overall bacterial composition in the gut.
Depression Prevention
- 2-7 glasses of red wine per week has shown to lower the reported levels of sadness in study participants.
Wards Off Diabetes
- In women, red wine has been shown to positively affect blood sugar control. It’s believed the ethanol in wine plays a key role in metabolizing glucose (sugar).
Protects Against Certain Cancers
- Breast—been shown to reduce estrogen levels in women approaching menopause
- Lung—prevents lung cancer cells from proliferating
- Prostate—50% decrease
- Colon—reduced bowel tumor size by 50%
Guards Against Vision Loss
- Diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration are caused by overgrowth of blood vessels in the eyes. The resveratrol in red wine has been shown to retard this vascular process.
So, go on and drink your glass of red wine and feel encouraged there’s likely a good health benefit to it, but know THIS: Red wine pales in comparison to the amount of resveratrol and proanthocyanidins found in other foods such as fresh red grapes, blueberries, and pistachio nuts!
*Nazarites in the Bible took a vow to live either a part or the whole of their lives abstaining from 1) the eating or drinking anything from the grape family, 2) the cutting of their hair, and 3) contact with the dead body of an animal or human. A “Nazarite Lite” could describe someone who has chosen to abstain from only part of #1—the drinking of wine.