More Health Benefits Touted for Red Wine

However, not everyone should be drinking it.

SUMMARY: Most people know the claims of health benefits made for the consumption of one or two glasses of red wine per day: helping people fall asleep faster at night and reducing "bad" cholesterol while boosting "good" cholesterol. Four recent studies are adding to this list of perceived benefits.

1. Red wine can maintain fitness levels for senior citizens who already are in shape. Moderate drinkers in this group (no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks for men) had a lower risk than heavy drinkers or abstainers of developing physical problems that impeded their everyday activities. Seniors in poor health though did not benefit.

2. It may help the fight against Alzheimer's. In animal trials, UCLA researchers found that compounds known as polyphenols in red wine can inhibit the development of proteins in the brain that can form plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. Polyphenols can also be found in tea, nuts, berries and cocoa. Human clinical trials will be next.

3. It boosts heart-healthy Omega 3 levels. People who consume alcohol in moderation, especially wine, were found to have higher Omega 3 levels independent of how much fish they ate, perhaps due to polyphenols as well.

4. It may lower lung cancer risk. In a study, men who drank one or two glasses of red wine a day had a 60% reduced lung cancer risk. There were no similar benefits in drinking white wine, beer, or liquor. Wine-drinking smokers still had a high lung-cancer risk.

To read the entire article, click on this NEWSWEEK link.

COMMENT: Some people may still find it difficult to see wine as being a health food, but the evidence is accumulating that it does have some definite health benefits. Yet, not everyone should be drinking it.

The most obvious exception are people who have a propensity to overindulge. Alcoholism has serious health complications including liver inflammation, stomach problems, neurological problems, birth defects, an increased risk of disease, stroke and cancer, and anger outbursts that can be dangerous for oneself and for others. Drunk driving is a/the leading cause for fatalities in automobile crashes. The problem involves how somebody can consider starting a moderate wine drinking regimen without knowing if he or she could eventually become addicted?

A second group that might not want to start drinking wine are Christians whose consciences tell them not to. St. Paul calls it a sin to cause someone to go against his conscience. (1 Corinthians 8:12) Unless and until these Christians discover that all things not directly or indirectly forbidden to Christians are permissible, even if not always wise (1 Corinthians 6:12), for the sake of their consciences they probably should abstain. Fortunately, drinking wine in moderation is not a problem for Lutherans from the standpoint of it being a sin in itself. In fact, we look forward to the swallow of wine we receive in the Lord's Supper. Note though that drunkenness is clearly a sin. (Ephesians 5:18)

Still, I wonder if wine has any benefits that can't be obtained in other ways that don't have the possible addiction problem. As this article points out, polyphenols can also be found in tea, nuts, berries and cocoa. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in fish and other foods. It appears one can live quite a healthy life without ever tasting a drop of wine.

Studies such as this one do have an additional benefit. They do validate the Bible, which offers support for wine drinking. Jesus' first recorded miracle was to turn water into wine. Also, he served wine at the Last Supper. St. Paul advises in 1 Timothy 5:23, "Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses."

However, it will be up to everyone to consider whether to abstain (except for Holy Communion, of course) or to drink wine at a moderate level, an activity he or she likely can do with a clear conscience.


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QUESTION OF THE DAY

Are defibrillators available for purchase and home use?

A doctor's defibrillator can jump-start a heart whose rhythms are out of whack, which if done within ten minutes of a heart attack could prevent death. Simplified versions called automatic external defibrillators or AEDS are now common in public places and available for purchase by consumers. Having and using an AED in the home was found to be as effective as having someone around who was trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CRP).

Source: Consumer Reports OnHealth (February 2009)

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