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Everyone has heard about the healing properties of grape drinks, especially red ones. The question arises: to whom and in what quantities you can drink wine, so that the benefits are maximum and the harm is minimal. In this article Shake it all will tell …
The benefits of red wine
The healing qualities of alcoholic beverages directly depend on their composition. The most useful components of red wines are polyphenols, which:
- Reduce the risk of heart attacks, atherosclerosis, strokes, cancer.
- Slow down aging, improve immunity and skin condition.
- They help fight insomnia, stabilize the work of the heart.
- Normalize blood composition, promote fat burning.
Red wines also contain vitamins, minerals and tannins that have a beneficial effect on the body.
No wonder there are special wellness programs that use grape drinks to treat various diseases.
The effect of red wine on blood pressure
It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question: it increases or lowers the pressure of red wine.
The thing is, it does both.
How does this happen:
- Immediately after drinking the drink, there is an expansion of blood vessels, and hence a drop in pressure.
A hypertensive person can feel a beneficial effect immediately after drinking wine: heaviness, noise in the head and pain in the temples disappear.
- After some time, the heart rate accelerates: the heart beats faster and faster.
A person feels a surge of strength and vigor.
- The effect of alcohol gradually decreases.
Vessels are constricted, and the blood is still moving quickly.
As a result, the pressure begins to rise.
In hypertensive patients, taking large doses of wine can lead to a sharp jump in pressure and the development of a crisis.
Recommendations for safe use
To avoid negative consequences, do not abuse alcohol.
This applies to any alcoholic beverage, including red wine.
The norm for healthy people is no more than 300 ml per day, for hypertensive patients – no more than 100 ml (no more than 2-3 times a week).
People who have a tendency to increase pressure should carefully consider the choice of drink and their own condition.
Dry red wine is considered the most beneficial for health.
In reasonable doses, you can try light white and pink.
It is unacceptable to take any alcohol when you feel unwell.
For persons with a high degree of hypertension (second and third), it is completely contraindicated.
Scientists have confirmed the effect of red wine on blood pressure
Foods rich in flavonoids, such as berries, apples, tea, wine and dark chocolate, have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, in particular on blood pressure. This conclusion is explained by the characteristics of the gut microbiome, according to a study published in the journal Hypertension.
Flavonoids are compounds found in fruits, vegetables, and other plant foods. Flavonoids are broken down by the gut microbiome – bacteria in the digestive tract.
It is suggested that flavonoids may reduce the risk of heart disease, and this study assessed the role of the gut microbiome in this process. Thus, the relationship between the use of foods rich in flavonoids, blood pressure and the diversity of the intestinal microbiome has been studied. It is traced how the variability of the gut microbiome can explain the relationship between the consumption of foods rich in flavonoids and blood pressure.
Scientists from the Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast analyzed the nutritional data of 900 adults in Germany. They took into account the consumption of certain foods high in flavonoids for one year, blood pressure after a night’s rest, at rest, and the composition of the microbiome (it was assessed by bacterial RNA isolated from stool samples). And the volunteers filled out questionnaires about lifestyle, age, body mass index, calories and fiber intake, bad habits, physical activity, prescribed medications, and a history of coronary heart disease.
According to the American Heart Association, citing lead researcher Edin Cassidy, lowering blood pressure is achievable with a simple change in daily diet.
The researchers concluded that participants who consumed more berries, apples, pears and wine had lower levels of systolic (upper) blood pressure, which was partly explained by bacteria in their gut microbiome. For example, drinking about 150 grams of berries a day was associated with a 4.1 mmHg reduction in blood pressure, and 350 milliliters of wine per week was associated with a 3.7 mmHg reduction.
According to cardiologists, based on this information, it is better for non-drinkers to refrain from drinking alcohol, and drinkers should consult a doctor about the risks and benefits of moderate portions. They reminded: red wine can be part of a healthy diet if the consumption does not exceed one glass a day for women and two for men.
Subsequent studies have proposed to investigate the role of metabolism and the gut microbiome in regulating the effects of flavonoids on blood pressure.