Little wine may be way to healthier heart

Moderate wine intake may be the way to a healthier heart, as it is associated with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids which protects the vital organ, a new study suggests. Omega-3 fatty acids, mainly derived from fish, are considered as protective against coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death, thus their high blood concentration is definitely good for our health, the study said. The study suggests that wine does better than other alcoholic drinks. This effect could be ascribed to compounds other than alcohol itself, representing a key to understanding the mechanism lying behind heart protection in moderate wine drinkers. The IMMIDIET study examined 1,604 individuals from three geographical areas: south-west London in England, Limburg in Belgium and Abruzzo in Italy. These findings will be published in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition - NEWS TRACK India

Heavy metals can taint wine

"The cardiac benefits of wine have been touted for years, but heavy metal contamination found in some European red and white wines could turn a health benefit into a hazard, British researchers report. Heavy metals have been linked to neurological problems such as Parkinson's disease and may also increase oxidative stress, which can lead to chronic inflammatory disease and cancer, the researchers noted. The report was published in the October 30 online edition of Chemistry Central Journal

Break out the bubbly: White wine may be good for you

"White wine lovers can feel a little less guilty about their habit. New research suggests that white varieties may offer similar heart benefits to red wines. Rats that were fed white wine as part of their diet suffered less heart damage during cardiac arrest, compared to animals fed only water or grain alcohol. These benefits were similar to animals that ingested a red wine or its wonder ingredient found only in grape skin, resveratrol. White wine, made from the pulp of the grape but not the skin, contains no resveratrol, which led many to pin the so-called "French paradox" - high fat intake but low rates of heart disease - on moderate consumption of red wines" - New Scientist