TA S T I NG ROOM
YOUR RED WINE BFF JUST GOT BFF-ER! Alright, we’ve been talking about how wine, red wine in particular, can be beneficial for your overall health and well being. Those maddening French women in their pencil skirts, sipping a glass of red wine with a plat du jour of cheese and a baguette the size of a Louisville Slugger started it all. How do they do it? we wondered. Then a study called the “French Paradox” revealed the benefits of moderate wine drinking. Not only does wine contain antioxidants that help lower bad cholesterol and improve good cholesterol, but moderate wine consumption favorably effects arterial muscle cells, while helping slow progression of neurological degeneration disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. Resveratrol and polyphenols, most prevalent in the skins of red grapes, help prevent artery damage. Great news for wine drinkers everywhere! Now scientists are saying there’s yet another secret ingredient within those polyphenols that have anti-aging effects. Procyanidins—a flavonoid found in foods such as dark chocolate, apples and cranberries—is identified as the most abundant flavonoid in red wine. The heartprotective effects of this flavonoid helps suppress the synthesis of a peptide called endothelin-1 that constricts blood vessels. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) found that Resveratrol improves health and longevity in aging mice. That’s right—dark chocolate and red wine have healthy benefits! Does it get any better than that? I may live forever! There’s a catch, however, if one could really call it a catch. These procyanidins are most prevalent in red wines that are higher in tannins, which are produced in the traditional way requiring longer skin contact. Longer skin contact with the juice allows greater extraction of cherished procyanidins. Lighter red wines require little skin-to-juice
By Angela Moon
contact and therefore may be missing the higher level of procyanidins. Early studies are proving good news to those who prefer higher tannin wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, the French Tannat, heftier Merlots and Malbecs. Moderate consumption of these red wines may ward off effects of age on the heart, bones, eyes and muscle. They also may inhibit the effects of degenerative oxidation and even strokes, as reported in ScienceDaily (July 3, 2008). Marie Antoinette is rumored to have washed her face in red wine to prevent wrinkles. What a waste of good wine! If she would have simply consumed a glass per night, she might have lived to a ripe old age—or maybe not. A Votre Sante!
Enjoy:
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HEALTH+FITNESS | September 2011
HEALTH+FITNESS | September 2011
Cash prizes for winners in each race category • Live Blues Music Featuring Joyce Cobb & Other Local Artists at each kilometer • Tons of food & cold drinks
September 17, 2011 9:00 a.m. Desoto Civic Center Southaven, MS Bring the whole family for a day of healthy action and great fun in the sun! This fundraiser supports our work to offer free prostate cancer screenings, community education, and research programs. Call 662-890-9870 or Register at: deltaramble.racesonline.com
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Event Managed by Start2Finish Event Management
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