Where does the anti-cancer effect of wine come from?
Resveratrol, tannins and anthocyanins are the beneficial substances found in wine, mainly in the skins of grapes. These beneficial substances enter the wine from the grape skins through fermentation and other winemaking processes. Also, when the wine is aged in oak barrels, it absorbs some tannins.
In addition, the color of wine comes from the anthocyanins in the grape skins. Anthocyanins are natural plant pigments. In addition to their color, anthocyanins are also powerful antioxidants that protect the body from free radical damage. Studies have shown that the excessive production of reactive oxygen radicals in the body can have a damaging effect, which is the root cause of human aging and disease.
Other benefits of wine
1. Sedative effect
Unlike most foods, red wine can be absorbed by the body without prior digestion. Within a reasonable range of consumption, wine can directly affect the peripheral nervous system, thereby improving muscle tension. Wine also acts on the neuromotor center, giving a feeling of comfort and pleasure. This state of mental balance makes us think more quickly, judge more accurately, and make us happy.
Therefore, for those who suffer from anxiety-related neuroses, drinking small amounts of wine can not only relieve anxiety, but also avoid the side effects of sedatives.
In addition, ancient Chinese medical experts have long recognized the nourishing and strengthening effects of wine, and have said that “wine tonifies the qi, regulates hunger and strengthens the will” and “warms the waist and kidneys, nourishes the face and keeps the cold away”.
2、Help digestion
In the stomach, 60-100 grams of wine can increase the production of normal gastric juice by 120 ml (including 1 gram of free hydrochloric acid). Wine is good for assimilation of proteins. The tannins in wine can enhance the contractility of smooth muscle fibers in the intestinal muscle system. Therefore, wine can regulate the function of the colon and has some therapeutic effect on colitis.
Red wine contains potassium sorbate, which helps the secretion of bile and pancreas. Therefore, wine can help digestion and prevent constipation.
3. Prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases
Wine can increase the concentration of high-density lipoprotein in the blood. HDL can transport cholesterol in the blood to the liver, where it is converted into cholesterol bile acid to prevent cholesterol deposition in the lining of blood vessels, thus preventing arteriosclerosis.
The proanthocyanidins in red wine play an important role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. In the arterial wall, proanthocyanidins stabilize the collagen fibers that form various membranes, inhibit histidine decarboxylation enzymes, and prevent excess histamine, thereby reducing the permeability of the blood vessel wall and preventing arteriosclerosis.
A glass of wine with dinner is good for your health
Researchers tested smokers by asking them to drink 200 ml of wine each day for four consecutive days and measured the amount of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolite 1-hydroxypyrene in their urine before and after drinking wine. The results showed that after smoking for 6 hours and drinking a glass of wine, a large amount of 1-hydroxypyrene in human blood would be excreted through urine. If you don’t drink wine, the amount of 1-hydroxypyrene emissions will be minimal. In addition, although grapes are sweet, they are very low in calories and fat. Drinking wine for middle-aged and elderly people can help purify the body’s organs and soften blood vessels. Drinking wine can also help with anorexia, indigestion, enteritis, and chronic pharyngitis.
