Almost every year there are headlines touting the health benefits related to drinking wine. The good news is there really are health benefits of wine consumption. These benefits are based on moderate consumption. The American Heart Association classifies “moderate consumption” as one to two four-ounce glasses of wine per day. Here’s a list of benefits that should make you very happy to be a wine lover.

Reduces High Blood Pressure

A 2007 study by the Harvard School of Public Health of over 11,000 men published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that moderate wine drinkers with high blood pressure are 30% less likely to have a heart attack than non-wine drinkers.

Lowers Risk of Heart Disease

A 2006 study by Queen Mary University in London, and published in Nature discovered that the tannins in red wine contain procyanidins, which protect against heart disease.

Reduces the Risk of Colon Cancer

A 2005 study of over 2,000 individuals over a four-year period published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology and conducted by Stony Brook University found that moderate consumption of wine, especially red wine cuts the risk of colon cancer by 45 %.

Lowers the Risk of Stroke

A 2006 study of more than 3,000 individuals conducted by Columbian University over an eight-year period found that moderate wine drinkers reduce their chances of suffering a blood clot-related stroke by 50%.

Reduces the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

A 2005 study of more than 300,000 individuals over a 12 year period conducted by Amsterdam’s VU University Medical Center found that moderate wine drinkers have a 30% less chance of developing type-2 diabetes than non-wine drinkers.

Reduces the Risk of Cataracts

A 2003 study of over 1,000 individuals in Iceland, and published in Nature

found that those who consume wine are 43% less likely to develop cataracts than those who drink beer.

Longevity

A 2007 Finish study published in the Journals of Gerontology of over 2000 men over the age of 29 concluded that wine drinkers have a 34% lower mortality rate than those who drink beer or hard liquor.

Cheers!