Effects of Red Wine on the Vascular System

Drinking red wine in moderation has positive effects on the cardiovascular system, according to the Mayo Clinic. Doctors believe these extraordinary health benefits come from antioxidants and a compound called resveratrol that is found in red wine. These compounds help prevent artery damage and increase good HDL cholesterol levels.

Resveratrol

• Resveratrol may be the key ingredient in red wine that makes it healthy. Scientists believe resveratrol helps prevent blood vessel damage, prevents blood clots and reduces bad cholesterol levels. Animal studies show that resveratrol helps protect mice from obesity and diabetes. Obesity and diabetes are both major risk factors for heart disease. Resveratrol has also been linked to a reduced risk of blood clotting and inflammation, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, it's important to understand that the rats were given high doses of resveratrol and a human would need to drink 60 liters of red wine to get the same dosage. Drinking that much red wine is extremely dangerous for your health. Scientists are currently studying the effectiveness of using resveratrol supplements instead.

Considerations

• Scientists aren't entirely sure if red wine is significantly more beneficial than other types of alcohol, according to the Mayo Clinic. All types of alcohol raise HDL cholesterol, which is considered "good" cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is good for the body because high HDL cholesterol levels reduce the risk of having a heart attack, according to the American Heart Association. All types of cholesterol also reduce blood clot formation and arterial damage.

Alternatives

• The resveratrol found in red wine comes from the skin of the grapes used to make the wine. Eating grapes or drinking grape juice is another way to add resveratrol to your diet, according to the Mayo Clinic. Other types of foods that contain the compound resveratrol include blueberries, peanuts and cranberries, but red wine has the highest concentration.

Warning

• Drinking too much red wine can be dangerous for your health and can lead to health problems like high blood pressure, stroke, obesity and alcoholism. Men should limit themselves to no more than two drinks a day and women should limit themselves to no more than one drink per day, according to the CDC. It's true that drinking alcohol may lower your risk of heart disease. However, you should not start drinking alcohol if you don't already just to prevent heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.