Whine or Wine?

Why not do both? Since joining the local BNI group I've met some great business people, including Stacy Brazington with Fine Wines at Home. She is super nice and is a personal wine consultant. I don't drink, but I may actually have a Wine party and if she can find me one that is nice and sweet I may start incorporating wine into my diet.

Why?

Well, wine is actually fairly good for you in moderation. Stacy shared some information about how wine can benefit your health, and even your waist line!

1. Feed your head - apparently wine can help with preserving your memory. And I need that! I have such a horrible memory, it's scary. "When researchers gave memory quizes to women in their 70s, those who drank one or more every day scored much better than those who drank less or not at all."

2. Keep the scale in your corner - apparently those who drink wine daily have lower body masses than those who only have an occasional drink. Moderate wine drinkers have "narrower waists and less abdominal fat than people who drink liquor." I should tell my hubby that - he likes his liquor.

3. Boost your body's defenses...Live Longer! - According to a British study, those who drank around a glass of wine a day reduced their risk of infection of the ulcer causing bacteria Helicobacter pylori by 11%. Even half a glass may reduce your risk of food poisoning!

4. Guard against ovarian woes - some Australian researchers compared wo men with ovarian cancer to cancer-free women and found that one glass of wine a day seemed to reduce the risk of the disease by "as much as 50 percent." Another study at the University of Hawaii came up with similar results.

5. Build better bones - women who drink moderately appear to have higher bone mass than abstainers and alcohol appears to boost estrogen levels.

6. Prevent blood sugar trouble - maybe this would have helped me with my gestational diabetes. It's generally okay to have a small glass of wine when you're pregnant. :) A Harvard study found that premenopausal women who drink one or two glasses of wine are 40% less likely to develope type 2 Diabetes than women who didn't.

7. Increase your "good cholesterol" level - A 1998 Finish study found that moderate drinking can reduce concentrations of lipoprotein in the blood, leading to fewer fat deposits in blood vessels.

So there you have it! Wine is good for you - in moderation of course. Now if I can find one that tastes like grape juice I'll be thrilled. And I'm curious to know if red grape juice gives some similar benefits. I know it's the red wines that have the great antibodies that are supposed to be so good for you.

If you're in Washington, head on over to Stacy's website and see about hosting a Wine Party at home. :)

Excerpts above from Debra Gordon, Health Magazine.

I was NOT paid or compensated in any way for this post. :) Just me and my opinions for the heck of it.