Metabolic syndrome consists of a whole bunch of medical disorders that increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It affects one in five people in the U.S. Prevalence increases with age.
Metabolic syndrome can lead to the development of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Research points to genetic factors, too much body fat, and lack of exercise as possible factors that contribute to the condition.
What is one great way to protect against metabolic syndrome? Resveratrol — the antioxidant in red wine — may be a good place to start. Red wine has, for the past number of years, been touted as heart healthy. Even while cautioning that drinking alcohol can have harmful effects on your body, doctors still agree that resveratrol appears to help the heart. Resveratrol is found in the skin and seeds of the grapes used to make wine.
And, apparently, resveratrol isn’t the only substance in red wine that looks promising as far as heart health goes. The alcohol in red wine also appears to benefit the heart. Alcohol raises the “good” (HDL) cholesterol in your body, inhibits the formation of blood clots, and helps to prevent damage caused by high levels of “bad” (LDL) cholesterol.
In one particular study, called the Copenhagen City Heart Study, Danish researchers studied risk factors for heart disease. The study was massive; for 21 years, a random sample of 5,599 men and 6,478 women aged 30 to 79 years were followed. The importance of risk factors in individuals and the community were evaluated. The research team found that those who drank red wine had about 50% less chance of dying from heart disease than those who didn’t!
It seems that antioxidants in red wine called “polyphenols” help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. These antioxidants are divided into two groups: flavonoids and non-flavonoids.
Flavonoids are found in a variety of foods, including oranges, apples, onions, tea, and cocoa. Other types of alcohol, such as white wine and beer, contain small amounts of flavonoids, too, but red wine has the highest levels.
Resveratrol is classed as a non-flavonoid. Because red wine is fermented with grape skins longer than in the making of white wine, red wine contains more resveratrol. Simply eating grapes, or drinking grape juice, may be one way to get resveratrol without drinking alcohol. Some studies show that red and purple grape juices may have some of the same heart-healthy benefits of red wine.
Other foods that contain some resveratrol include peanuts, blueberries, and cranberries. It’s not yet known how beneficial eating grapes or other foods might be compared with drinking red wine when it comes to promoting heart health, as the amount of resveratrol in food and red wine can vary widely.
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