The effects and functions of wine
Wine is warm and sweet, entering the liver, spleen and heart. It is beneficial to the cardiovascular system, beautifies and protects the skin, inhibits cancer and tumors, resists aging and radiation, enhances appetite, stimulates and strengthens, eliminates fatigue, stops bleeding and is a diuretic. It is mainly used for anorexia, weakness of arms and legs, mental sleepiness, insomnia and poor urination.
① 《Compendium of Materia Medica》：”Wine warms the waist and strengthens the kidney.”
② “Food and Drink Guide”: “Wine stagnation, a hundred veins smooth.”
A. Nourishing effect
Wine contains sugar, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. These are essential nutrients for the human body. It can be directly absorbed by the body, without prior digestion. The phenolics and oligomers in wine function as high oxidants, preventing damage to the body (such as DNA and RNA in cells) from reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during the body’s metabolic process. These damages are one of the factors contributing to a number of degenerative diseases such as cataracts, cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis and aging. Therefore, regular consumption of appropriate amounts of wine has anti-aging and longevity effects.
(1) Helps digestion
The best food and drink. Wine can stimulate gastric acid secretion gastric juice. The tannins in wine can increase the contraction of smooth muscle fibers in the intestinal system, regulate the function of the colon, and have a certain effect on colitis. Sweet white wine contains sorbitol, which helps digestion and prevents constipation.
(2) Bactericidal effect
The antibacterial effect of wine has long been recognized. For example, colds are a common and frequent disease. The antibacterial substances in wine have an inhibitory effect on the flu virus. The traditional method is to drink a glass of hot white champagne or heat a glass of wine, add an egg, stir, stop heating, cool a little and drink. Studies have shown that the germicidal effect of wine is due to the presence of antibacterial and germicidal wine substances.
(3) Diuretic
Some white wines contain high levels of potassium tartrate, potassium sulfate and potassium oxide, which are diuretic, preventing edema and maintaining the body’s acid-base balance.
(4) Delaying aging
Like metals, the human body gradually “oxidizes” in the natural world. The culprit of human oxidation is not oxygen, but oxygen radicals, which are reactive groups containing unpaired electrons outside the nucleus of an atom. These unpaired electrons can easily cause chemical reactions that damage important biomolecules such as DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), proteins and lipids, which in turn affect cell membrane transport processes, impair the function of various tissues and organs, and promote the aging of the body. Red wine contains a variety of antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids, vitamin C, vitamin E, trace elements such as selenium, zinc and manganese, which can scavenge or fight against oxygen free radicals and have anti-aging and disease prevention effects.
(5) Prevention and control of cerebral thrombosis
Wine can increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in the blood, which is responsible for transporting cholesterol from extrahepatic tissues to the liver for metabolism, thus effectively reducing blood cholesterol and preventing atherosclerosis. In addition, the polyphenols in wine can also inhibit platelet aggregation and prevent thrombosis. Although white wine also has an anti-platelet aggregation effect, it “bounces back” after a few hours, making platelet aggregation more active than before drinking, whereas wine does not have this rebound phenomenon. After 18 hours of consumption, it continues to inhibit platelet aggregation.
(6) Cancer prevention
Resveratrol, contained in grape skins, has the best anti-cancer properties of any of the hundreds of plants commonly consumed by humans. It prevents normal cells from becoming cancerous and inhibits the spread of cancer cells. Red wine has the highest resveratrol content of all wines. Because resveratrol can inactivate cancer cells, wine is an excellent anti-cancer product.
(7) Prevent breast cancer
Scientists have recently discovered that wine contains a chemical that can prevent breast cancer. They have found a substance in red and white wine that can prevent breast cancer. This substance has this effect because it resists estrogen, which is associated with breast cancer.
(8) Promotes metabolism
This wine also contains para-aminobenzoic acid, a component of folic acid, which promotes the synthesis of red blood cells and improves the utilization of pantothenic acid. Wine is high in pantothenic acid, 1 mg/liter, and adults need 5-10 mg per day. Pantothenic acid deficiency can easily cause fatigue and digestive disorders. Wine is rich in inositol, which can promote the metabolism of fat in the liver and other tissues, effectively prevent fatty liver, reduce cholesterol in the blood, enhance the absorption capacity of the intestine and promote appetite.
(9) Protect the heart muscle to prevent heart disease
Wine contains a variety of inorganic salts, of which potassium can protect the heart muscle and maintain the heartbeat. Calcium calms the nerves. Magnesium is a protective factor against cardiovascular disease, and magnesium deficiency can cause coronary arteriosclerosis. These three elements are important components of the body’s bones and muscles.
Manganese has the function of blood clotting and synthesizing cholesterol and insulin. Red wine contains 0.04 mg/L-0.08 mg/L of manganese, which is used in moderation to regulate carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. Selenium is a strong oxidant. Together with vitamin E, it can prevent angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, elevated blood pressure and thrombosis. Red wine contains 0.08 mg/L – 0.20 mg/L of selenium.
Cardiologists have shown that drinking 200 ml of wine per day can reduce platelet aggregation and plasma viscosity, make blood clots less likely to form, and prevent coronary heart disease. Because wine contains flavonoids and polyphenols, it can improve blood circulation. Researchers have shown that regular consumption can reduce the mortality rate of heart disease by 70%.
(10) Softening of blood vessels
Wine can treat anemia, soften blood vessels, improve circulation, prevent disease, and nourish the body. Wine has been found to contain a non-alcoholic component called resveratrol, which can lower cholesterol and triglycerides.
(11) Prevention of diabetes
Moderate drinkers are 40% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than non-drinkers. However, researchers point out that the preventive effect of moderate drinking on diabetes requires two conditions to be met: first, we must adhere to a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, normal body weight, moderate exercise and no smoking. The second is to strictly control the amount of wine consumed, preferably low in alcohol and sweetness. Women can drink up to one glass a day and men can drink up to two glasses a day.
In recent years, people are becoming aware of the beneficial effects of wine on the heart. Recent scientific studies have brought good news that wine also plays a positive role in nourishing and protecting the lungs. Researchers have found that wine contains a natural compound that can help treat chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The compound, called resveratrol, is found in the skins of red grapes and can inhibit the production of harmful chemicals that cause lung disease.
Research has found that wine contains a natural compound that can help treat chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The compound, called resveratrol, is found in the skins of red grapes and can inhibit the production of harmful chemicals that cause lung disease.
