Well, it’s about time! News we finally want to hear…
A glass of beer or wine each day could actually be good for your heart, a surprising new study has found.
Researchers at Monash University found that MODERATE alcohol consumption is better for heart and overall health than having no alcohol. Moderate being the key word here.
More about the study on how alcohol can benefit you
18,000 adults in Australia and America were studied over a period of four years.
Experts found that participants who drank between five and 10 standard drinks a week showed a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who had no alcohol.
Robyn Woods, an associate professor at Monash University, says he wasn’t surprised by the findings.
“Taking or consuming five to ten alcoholic beverages a week, which is quite modest gave better outcomes than those who were completely teetotal,” he said.
“It seemed to be associated with a reduced cardiovascular disease risk and also of all-cause mortality.
“There is some evidence that modest alcohol intake has vascular properties that could be beneficial. But there is also the potential for social benefits. So, you know, consuming alcohol with friends, family, etcetera may well have a benefit.”
Other benefits of booze
Meanwhile, numerous other studies have highlighted the benefits of drinking alcohol in moderation, especially wine.
Booze has been found to help fight off type 2 diabetes, heart disease, blood clots, cancer and dementia in some case studies.
However, before you crack open that bottle of wine, please note the Australian Drug and Alcohol Foundation advises you should consume NO MORE than 10 standard drinks per week – and not in one sitting.
A standard drink in Australia contains 10 grams of alcohol.
Two glasses of red wine before bed can help weight loss
Meanwhile, scientists at Harvard Medical School and Washington State University found that drinking two glasses of red wine before bed can help keep those unwanted kilos off.
You know if Harvard said it, it’s legit, right?!
In a nutshell, red wine contains polyphenol (a micro-nutrient) called resveratrol. Words you probably should not read after those two glasses of shiraz.
Resveratrol will be your new best friend when you realise it turns nasty ‘white fat’ into ‘beige fat’, which is easier to burn off.
You can’t turn into a sloth just yet though, beige fat is easier to lose if you actually burn it off through exercising.
“Polyphenols in fruit, including resveratrol, increase gene expression that enhances the oxidation of dietary fats so the body won’t be overloaded,” said Professor Min Du.
“They convert white fat into beige fat that burns lipids off as heat – helping to keep the body in balance and prevent obesity and metabolic dysfunction.”
There’s kind of a catch. It’s tiny though and if you read over it really fast, it might not seem very important.
“Many of the beneficial polyphenols are insoluble and get filtered out during the wine production process.”
To be fair though, if you’re going to have two glasses of shiraz before bed, you’re less likely to have a snack.
So, in a way, it is true. The Harvard study concluded that if women had two glasses (no more) of red wine a night, they were 70 percent less likely to be overweight.
Even though it may not exactly help with weight loss, it may prevent weight gain. We call that a win.
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