The thesis that red wine is supposed to be healthy is generally known. But can you really enjoy it as carefree as it is popularly spread? Hippocrates already used red wine as a remedy in 400 BC. Even at that time, the drink was said to have disinfecting, calming and pain-relieving effects. In ancient Rome, too, red wine was seen as a remedy with medicinal effects, used for febrile gastrointestinal diseases and for poultices for open wounds.
Red wine: good for the heart and circulation?
With all these cultural habits in dealing with red wine, the question arises whether there might be something to the health-promoting effect of red wine after all. Scientific studies have shown that moderate consumption of red wine can have preventive effects with regard to heart and brain infarctions. The reason for this is that red wine protects against vascular disease by neutralizing free radicals and helps prevent arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), among other things.
The cause of these beneficial effects of red wine is mainly the ingredient phenol. Phenols belong to the group of secondary plant compounds and are thus products of the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and amino acids.
Enjoy wine in moderation
However, the beneficial health effect unfolds only when red wine is consumed in moderation. Adolescents, nursing mothers and pregnant women should avoid alcohol consumption altogether. If alcohol is consumed in excess, the health-promoting effect can be reversed for everyone. Serious liver damage can be the result.
In risky situations, such as in traffic or when taking medication, alcohol should of course not be drunk at all. Likewise, excessive consumption of alcohol increases the risk of cancer many times over.
The WHO recommends taking at least one or two alcohol-free days each week. According to the German Centre for Addiction Issues, the safe limit for alcohol consumption for men is about 20 to 24 grams of pure alcohol per day, which corresponds to about 0.5 liters of beer or 0.25 liters of wine. Women should consume only about half that amount of alcohol, assuming healthy individuals in each case.
