Obviously most of us in this class (myself included) don’t drink yet since it’s not legal in the United States, but we might have heard our parents or older friends saying the expression “a glass of wine a day is good for you”. This always seemed a little strange to me, since people are always warning us about the effects of alcohol and how detrimental it is towards our body. So I decided to research if wine is actually good for a person’s health, and why.
According to Health magazine, wine has numerous benefits. One of them is the preservation of a person’s memory. A study was conducted by giving memory quizzes to women in their 70s, and those who drank one drink or more a day scored much better than those who didn’t. Another study from Texas A&M University using rats also produced similar results. Middle-aged rats were treated with resveratrol, a compound found in wine, and the other group of rats was given a placebo drug. The rats treated with resveratrol demonstrated improved memory and learning. Since resveratrol has also shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and triggering the growth of new blood vessels, the A&M scientists wondered if it could improve age-related memory loss. “The hippocampus (the area of the brain associated with memory) experiences inflammation as we age, which is thought to contribute to increase in age-related memory loss.”
The scientists from A&M conducted a series of behavioral tests before administering the compound and the placebo drug. The tests revealed that both groups of middle-aged rats had similar memory and learning abilities. Two months later, they tested the mice’s abilities again and the controlled group’s memory deteriorated, while the group administered the resveratrol’s memory improved. “Their cell growth in their hippocampus also doubled, compared with the control group.” While this hasn’t been tested in humans yet, this study shows that resveratrol, and wine in general, does have positive effects on the hippocampus and memory.
According to a study conducted in Queens University by Dr. Liam J. Murray, those who drink a few glasses of wine a week have a lower chance of carrying Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a bacteria that causes stomach ulcers. Dr. Murray and his colleagues tested 10,537 people for this infection, and they asked how much alcohol they consumed. “They found out that it took at least three glasses of wine a week to prevent against H. pylori, since those who drank three to six glasses had 11% fewer infections. Drinking more than six glasses per week decreased the infections by another 6%.” The reason why this happens is because wine increases secretion of stomach acids, which speeds the emptying of the stomach. The compounds found in wine also include antibacterial components.
My final takeaway on this topic is that wine is actually good for you in many different ways (in moderation). According to my research and the different studies conducted, drinking a few glasses of wine a week is beneficial towards a person’s memory as well as helps prevent stomach infections.
Picture links:
http://yellowfarmhousewines.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/7Wine_IsItGoodForYou.jpg
http://www.turangacreek.co.nz/userfiles/image/health-wine2.jpg
I agree that those results seem to be consistent with the hypothesis that wine is good for you. Unfortunately, it is frustrating that we cannot prove that wine does in fact help our health. We cannot assume the results of the rat could carry over to humans. The other surveys show correlation, but not causation as we know. It does seem very plausible that wine does help our health though (hooray for wine drinkers)! Here are some more possible health benefits!
I have also heard that a “glass of wine a day is good for you.” I never knew why until now! As I was reading your post, I started to see a personal connection. About a year and a half ago, my mother was in the hospital because she has diverticulitis, which is a “digestive disease.” Her stomach and bowel issues cause her to have gas issues. However, my mom began to drink a glass of white wine every night because it helped to stop the gas. She would say this to me and I would think she was crazy. But now, when I see her over Thanksgiving Break I will show her your post! My mom made a good discovery for herself and now I can tell her the mechanism behind why wine is such a relief to her stomach.