How Wine Can Help Your Cholesterol

Next time you are enjoying a night out and thinking about ordering some wine, consider this -- it appears that a glass of wine may be a good thing for you after all. Chemicals found in red wine have proven beneficial to health. The Mayo Clinic suggests the flavonoids and nonflavonoid antioxidants found in wine can help to lower bad LDL cholesterol, which can attribute to heart disease if not maintained at a healthy level.

Flavonoids
Flavonoids, which produce color in fruits, vegetables and other plants, have many antioxidant properties. They prevent cholesterol from oxidization by macrophages and metal ions. Without cholesterol oxidization, risk of atherosclerosis - clogging of the arteries - is reduced. Flavonoids are found in foods like oranges and apples, as well as in coffee, tea, white wine and beer. The levels of flavonoids like quercetin and anthocyanidin are especially high in red wine.

Nonflavonoids
Nonflavonoids can also cause pigmentation in plants, but they also may be vitamins and minerals. Vitamins C and E are considered nonflavonoids for their antioxidant powers. The resveratrol in wine is also considered a nonflavonoids and may prevent arteries from becoming clogged with fatty deposits, known as cholesterol. Blocking cholesterol is important to helping to keep the heart functioning properly.

Red vs. White
The Mayo Clinic refers to studies that have shown all alcoholic beverages as beneficial to raise the good cholesterol, known as HDL, while lowering the bad LDL cholesterol. For the heart benefits of resveratrol and quercetin, however, red wine is believed to be better as resveratrol comes from the grape skins. Red wine undergoes fermentation with skins longer than white does.

Considerations
There may be the same wine benefit in blocking cholesterol in drinking grape juice or eating grapes. Even blueberries and cranberries are a good source of the polyphenol. While the American Heart Association agrees there may be benefits to drinking wine, they do not suggest that you should start to drink alcohol as a heart disease preventative.

Warnings
Even though drinking wine may have certain health benefits, it should still be consumed in moderation. According to the American Heart Association, drinking excess amounts of alcohol - more than one drink for women, up to two for men - can actually increase the levels of triglycerides and be dangerous for the heart. Drinking too many alcoholic beverages has also been linked to stroke and high blood pressure.