Now, you may be thinking, how on earth can wine be at all related to health? Isn't wine an alcoholic beverage? Don't health care professionals always warn against the consumption of alcohol? Well, if the title of this article looks a little familiar to you, it is an actual statement taken directly from the holy bible!

It has long been believed since even before the days of biblical times that wine taken in moderation reaped some benefit to your health. From a medical standpoint, the people of these times likely had no idea why this was or even what the benefits were, but they did believe in it.

Some substances found in wines such as flavoniods and tannins, are considered antioxidants and may be part of the reason why red wine consumption yields health benefits. Around 400 substances found in red wine seem to raise the levels of HDL (the good cholesterol) and lower the levels of LDL (the bad cholesterol) in the bloodstream, helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes. This is relevant because HDL'S remove LDL'S from the artery walls and dispose of them preventing artery blockage.

Today, with the research of modern medical science, we can find out if there was anything to these ancient beliefs, or if they merely liked the feeling that came with the consumption of wine. Let's take a look at what is known about wine here in the 21st century and see whether the beliefs of our ancestors were hogwash or if they were really on to something.

Red wines are fermented on the skins and the fermentation of the skins seems paramount to promoting health. This was supported by a study done by researchers from Portugal, Switzerland, Finland, and Denmark. An extract from the fermentation of red wine called ANOX has been developed as a source of polyphenols, and this extract has a greater effect than red wine itself on preventing the buildup of blood platelets and has several other health benefits as well.

The Copenhagen City heart study monitored 13,000 men and women between the ages of 30 to 70 from 1976 to 1988 and found compelling evidence to support that moderate wine consumption actually lowered human mortality rates. The study found that people who drink moderate amounts of wine every day have literally half the risk of dying at any age compared to people who never drink wine.

Over a hundred scientific reports have been published since 1991 with strong evidence that consuming wine in moderation can fit in to a healthy lifestyle.

Maybe our ancestors didn't know the reasons why wine provided health benefits and maybe they didn't even know what those benefits were, or maybe they did. Either way, they were correct in their beliefs.