How a festive drink can help your heart health
As the year draws to a close, many of us enjoy celebrating with some alcoholic beverages. While excessive drinking can harm your health, moderate consumption of certain drinks may have some benefits. One of these drinks is mulled wine, a traditional winter warmer that is made with red wine and spices.
Mulled wine may not only warm you up, but also protect your heart. This is because red wine contains substances that can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, two major risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Blood pressure benefits
Red wine is rich in polyphenols, which are plant compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. One of the most studied polyphenols in red wine is resveratrol, which has been shown to improve the function of the cells that line your blood vessels. These cells, called endothelial cells, regulate the contraction and relaxation of your blood vessels, which affects your blood pressure.
A study published in 2015 found that drinking a mixture of grape juice and red wine extract lowered the blood pressure of 60 people with mild hypertension. The participants drank either grape juice, grape juice with red wine extract, or water for four weeks, and then switched to another drink for another four weeks. The results showed that only the grape juice with red wine extract reduced the blood pressure, while the other drinks had no effect. The researchers estimated that this reduction could translate into a 10 percent lower risk of stroke or heart attack.
Cholesterol benefits
Red wine can also influence your cholesterol levels, which are another indicator of your heart health. Cholesterol is a type of fat that circulates in your blood. There are two types of cholesterol: HDL (high-density lipoprotein), which is known as the “good” cholesterol, and LDL (low-density lipoprotein), which is known as the “bad” cholesterol. HDL helps to remove excess cholesterol from your blood vessels, while LDL can build up and form plaques that narrow and harden your arteries.
Drinking red wine can increase your HDL cholesterol and decrease your LDL cholesterol, according to several studies. For example, a study published in 2005 involved 69 healthy adults who drank either red wine, water with grape extract tablets, water with half-dose grape extract tablets, or water with a placebo for four weeks. The results showed that only the red wine group had a significant increase in HDL cholesterol and a decrease in LDL cholesterol.
How much is enough?
While mulled wine may have some health benefits, it is important to remember that it is still an alcoholic drink, and that drinking too much alcohol can have negative effects on your health. Alcohol can damage your liver, brain, and other organs, as well as increase your risk of certain cancers and mental health problems.
The NHS advises that men and women should not drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week, and that these units should be spread over three or more days. One unit of alcohol is equivalent to 10ml of pure alcohol, which is about half a pint of beer, a small glass of wine, or a single measure of spirits. Mulled wine typically contains about 11 percent alcohol, so one small glass (125ml) would be about 1.4 units.
Therefore, if you want to enjoy the benefits of mulled wine, you should limit yourself to one or two glasses per week, and avoid drinking on consecutive days. You should also drink plenty of water and eat some food before and while drinking, to prevent dehydration and intoxication.
Mulled wine is a delicious and festive drink that can also help your heart health, as long as you drink it in moderation. Cheers! 🍷
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