If red wine has all these health benefits, then surely if I drink two glasses a day, I'd be saving my drug plan lots of money. It follows they should pay for my wine.
From the Daily Mail [via MA]:
[Dr William McCrae] claims the antioxidant properties of red wine have reduced the risk of a second heart attack in his patients by half - and the risk of a stroke by 20 per cent.
And the sight of the cardiologist pushing a trolley laden with 125ml glasses of cabernet sauvignon has become a familiar sight at Great Western Hospital in Swindon. ...
A small amount of alcohol reduces blood pressure and therefore lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as relaxing anxious patients, he added.
The skins of certain red wine grapes, which are used in the fermenting process, are rich in flavonoids which are known to have health-boosting properties.
Red wine also helps keep the inner lining of blood vessels smooth, which also helps prevent blood clots.
Dr McCrea recommends health-conscious drinkers quaff red wines with the highest antioxidant concentrations, which tend to come from high altitudes - such as Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile and Shiraz and Pinot Noir from South Africa.
Younger wines are apparently better because older vintages lose their antioxidants in the barrel and corked wine is not recommended as the cork absorbs antioxidants.
Wine also has to be drunk soon after opening, as it loses its antioxidant properties with exposure to the air.