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“Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s
sake and thine often infirmities.”
~1 Timothy, 5:23 All right, so the first Epistle of Paul the Apostle probably was not advocating the health benefits of drinking wine in this Bible passage, but he may have ultimately been on to something. Wine has been around for centuries, and as early as 450 B.C. it has been used for various “medicinal” purposes. For example, Hippocrates recommended specific wines to flush out fever, sterilize and dress wounds, act as a diuretic, and perform as a nutritional supplement. The earliest known physicians appear to have also advocated drinking wine over water prior to the 18th century as well, simply because the acids and alcohols in wine were able to kill those pathogens considered harmful to humans. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about the water supply of that time. Today, over 400 significant long-term studies have been conducted worldwide regarding the health benefits of drinking wine regularly and in moderation.
In most all studies, the majority of individuals studied were shown to benefit in significant ways from drinking wine. The only exception noted has been premenopausal women with a history of breast cancer. For that population, drinking wine is not advised. However, for the rest of us, consuming this cholesterol and fat-free beverage has its advantages. The advantages of moderate consumption found in medical studies include a(n): - Improvement of lung function (white wine)
- Increased cardiac output and arterial elasticity (red wine)
- Decreased occurrence of coronary disease
- Reduction of the risk of senility and Alzheimer’s
- Reduction of some cancers
- Elimination of the bacteria that causes peptic ulcers
- Natural anxiety and tension reducer
- Appetite stimulant
- Digestive aide
An often-raised concern regarding wines are the sulfites contained in this beverage. Sulfites or sulfur dioxide is often used as a preservative in wines to prolong its shelf life. What many people do not know is that it also naturally occurs in the fermentation process as well as being used as an additive when bottled. Even organic wines are going to contain naturally occurring sulfites. The main difference is that the level is significantly lower than those of non-organic wines (20 ppm versus 40+ ppm).
Sulfites are found in other foods such as cheese, yogurt and other processed dairy, bread and baked goods, canned, bottled and frozen juices, jams and jellies, pastas and rice mixes to name a few. In fact, our bodies also naturally produce about 1 gram of sulfites a day through normal metabolic function. While research suggests that only a very small percentage of the population is sensitive to sulfites (approximately 1% of the general population and 5% of asthmas sufferers), the rest of us will generally not experience any side-effects from drinking wines containing sulfites. Again, it must be stressed that we are talking about moderate consumption here, i.e. usually no more than one glass per day.
Wine is by no means a cure for all that ails us. Those suffering from inflammations of the digestive tract, peptic ulcers, liver disease, pancreatitis, kidney or urinary infections, prostate disorders, epilepsy, or alcoholism should definitely avoid alcohol consumption. However, for the rest of us healthy people, raise your glass in toast to the moderate and regular consumption of wine and its ability to support and prolong a healthy life.
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