"Everything is poison and nothing is poison, because only the dose makes the poison" - this famous saying is attributed to the father of modern medicine, Paracelsus, and it seems to fit exceptionally well with alcohol consumption. It is said that 'moderate wine consumption' can have health benefits, but what does this actually mean? How much wine can be drunk at once for that amount to have the promised benefits? Naturally, the answer is a highly individual matter and depends on one's weight, age, gender, physique, state of health, as well as whether the consumption is on an empty stomach or after or during a meal. It is certainly worth pointing out that women assimilate alcohol much faster than men due to the percentage of water in the body and different levels of digestive enzymes, so 'moderate consumption' in the case of the female gender will mean less alcoholic drinks.
According to the US Dietary Guidelines, published in 2010, moderate consumption for women means "up to one drink a day", for men the upper limit is "two drinks". According to British researchers, women can regularly drink no more than 2-3 units of alcohol per day, while men can drink no more than 3-4 units, of which "unit" is defined as 10 ml or 8 g of pure alcohol. 250 ml of red wine with a percentage of 12% therefore contains approximately 3 units of alcohol, while a medium glass, 175 ml, contains 2 units of alcohol according to this conversion rate.

The miracle of resveratrol

Resveratrol is an ingredient found in plants such as grapes, blueberries, blueberry raspberries and peanuts. Its primary function is to counteract bacteria and fungi, as well as to protect against ultraviolet radiation. Red wine contains more of it because the fermentation process uses grape skins, which contain this chemical compound. The health properties of wine are largely based on its resveratrol content, which has a very strong and positive effect on memory, brain function, heart function, bone function and, according to some, can even improve insulin sensitivity.

So let's take a look at the collected examples of the positive effects of wine on the human body ... and the soul.

photo: panthermedia

Reduced risk of depression

Data collected at Spanish universities and published by BMC Medicine showed that regular, moderate consumption of wine can reduce the risk of depression. They studied 2,683 men and 2,822 women aged between 55 and 80 over a seven-year period. Study participants were required to complete a questionnaire twice a year, which included dietary data, including details of alcohol consumption and mental health. According to the data collected, men and women who drank between two and seven glasses of wine per week were much less likely to be diagnosed with depression compared to those who did not consume wine, and this rate did not change even after excluding other lifestyle factors.

Prevention of ageing and senile dementia

Harvard researchers confirm that red wine has properties that promote slowing down the ageing process. This hypothesis has a long history, as already in the medieval monasteries of Europe there was a theory that monks who consumed wine regularly, albeit in moderate quantities, lived longer than the rest of the population. The reason for this could be the aforementioned resveratrol, considered to be the elixir of youth. Study leader David Sinclair also claims that resveratrol also improves the health of mice on a high-fat diet. The procyanidin in wine, which helps to protect the veins, is also not insignificant. Wine is found in the daily diet of the inhabitants of Crete and Sardinia, who are renowned for their long lives. The varieties of this beverage from the regions of Sardinia and south-western France are particularly rich in tannins, which affect the cardiovascular system.

Another positive point is the effect of wine on the prevention of senile dementia. Data collected since 1977 at Loyola Medical University among residents of 14 countries confirm that the incidence of dementia is lower among regular wine drinkers. Like their colleagues at Harvard University, they suggest that the resveratrol in wine, which positively affects platelets and helps keep blood vessels healthy, contributes to this. Both white and red wine contain this chemical, but red wine contains much more of it, as there is longer contact with grape skins during the making of red wine than during the making of white wine. At the same time, study leader Edward J. Neafsay says that this does not mean that non-drinkers should suddenly start consuming alcohol - rather, he emphasises that regular, moderate consumption of alcohol can have health benefits. His study also points out that people who consume alcohol have a 23% reduced risk of dementia compared to those who never consume alcohol.