Red Wine is Good For You

Red Wine is Good For You

Does red wine deserve its reputation as a healthy choice?

It has been linked with all sorts of health benefits over the years: the
heart, the lungs, prevention of breast cancer, prostate cancer, tooth decay,
longevity and just general wellbeing. But can this be true and how can one
drink affect so many parts of the body?

Our reporter Dr Andrew Rochford uncorks a few reds to investigate the truth.

The whole idea that red wine keeps us healthy comes from something called
the French Paradox. Scientists noticed that despite a diet loaded with
saturated fat, very few French people actually croak it from heart attacks.

Just 83 out of 100,000 Frenchmen die from heart disease compared with 230 in
the US. The difference? The amount of red wine they drink.

Family doctor Philip Norrie is such a red wine advocate and fan that he
bought his own vineyard in the New South Wales Hunter Valley. He's also
written several books and a thesis on red wine and its health benefits.

"We're all going to die from something and what I'm trying to do is delay
your death," says Dr Norrie. He says the wine has been used medicinally for
over 5000 years for antiseptic (treating wounds, water and preoperative), as
a tranquiliser or sedative, and as a hypnotic.

This 'wine doctor' is a devoted disciple of red wine - he recommends it to
many of his patients.

REF : Health on Ninemsn

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