Drinking wine is often the subject of debate in the medical community because of the uncertainty surrounding it’s purported medical benefits. While these health factors are sometimes uncertain, the cause of this debate is more often associated with the trade-off between risk and reward when consuming alcohol. Wine undoubtedly provides certain benefits, these benefits must simply be weighed against the risks of consuming alcohol in larger quantities; a risk associated with all forms of alcoholic beverage, not just wine.
Taking into account the importance of moderation when consuming alcohol, I’ve put together a list of some of the more unusual and unexpected health benefits of drinking wine.
Yes, you read that correctly. Drinking wine may actually increase bone density; a medical benefit of particular concern for those approaching middle age and post-menopausal women who are at increased risk of osteoporosis. Supposedly, wine has high levels of silicon which help your bones maintain their youthful resilience. And let’s be honest, a glass of wine is a much more enjoyable option for combating osteoporosis than a glass of milk!
As we age, our vision is one of the first senses to suffer. The eyes are a remarkably complex and vital part of our bodies, and unfortunately age takes its toll on the majority of aging Americans. To combat this slow decline, research now shows that choosing wine with your dinner instead of beer or other beverages may help slow the development of cataracts and preserve vision into your twilight years.
In another shocking twist, research has shown that a key component of wine – Resveratrol – is directly linked to improved short term memory. As we age, our memory is another area that begins to suffer, but thanks to a nightly glass of wine, we may be able to maintain our mental acuity and even improve our mental facilities.
In another ironic and unexpected twist, drinking a glass of wine may help preserve the healthy function of your liver. This is unexpected because conventional wisdom states that alcohol is damaging to the liver. However, this is a factor of drinking in excess rather than drinking in moderation. In small doses – a glass every night or two – the regular intake of wine has shown to actually boost liver function and help maintain a healthy, functioning liver.
For more unexpected health benefits, check out my recently published article in MyDeal here.