Red wine appears to block the oxidation of cholesterol, an early step in the creation of plaque on blood vessel walls according to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
The researchers used red wine, white wine and pure alcohol in their study of the effect on the body. Red wine had the most antioxidant properties; white wine was only 20% as effective and pure alcohol had no effect. Antioxidants are what fight off disease and illness in the body.
The findings may shed light on what has become known as the French Paradox. The French eat the same fatty foods as their European neighbors, but they have much lower incidence of heart problems. The only significant difference is that the French drink much more red wine.
In other studies in which test subjects were given non-alcoholic red wine, the heart benefits were not observed.
So, before you leave for work or shopping, put the crock pot on and pick up a bottle of your favorite red wine for dinner on the way home.
Shop here for a new crock pot or other cooking accessories.
Taken from the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (1999;18:137-143)
