Be Good Hearted... and Drink Red Wine!!

 It never ceases to amaze me how much research is deemed necessary before we finally come to the conclusion and accept the fact that drinking wine, especially red wine, is good for our hearts. And here is the latest as reported in BMJ..helping doctors make better decisions. The research paper is titled "Prospective Epidemiological Study of Myorcardial Infarction"

It is worth reading but you probably should have a glass of wine or two while consuming this information and if you proceed to glass number three, try saying the above title real fast three times.
Now here is some research that has just been reported. It has come to light that humans were drinking wine over 6000 years ago.
And we are still around doing our best to convince Neo-Prohibitionists and other anti-drinking groups that drinking wine is good for their health and we are going to be around for a long time.
My good friend Keith Watt over on Pender Island, owner of
Morning Bay Estate Winery and Vineyards, wrote a nice  sensible, summing it all up article on wine and health.
Good wines, good friends, laughter and love. How can we go wrong? Of course drinking too much wine may be bad for your health. Everything in moderation. I love crisp bacon and could eat it all day and every day but that would not be good for my health, would it now?
So let us make sure that when they dig around an archaeological site 6000 years from now, they will say that in the year of 2011,they sure knew how to live the good live.

 May you have a happy heart this year and every year and enjoy your wine in peace and in good company!

A New Kind of Wine Doctor !

Should a doctor recommend wine for your health? There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that drinking wine, particularly red wine may be beneficial to your health and well being and yet doctors are loath to recommend a glass of wine (or two) to their patients. Their common concern has been their fear of the possibility of turning you into an alcoholic. This seems rather an unfounded fear. If you have it in your genes to become an alcoholic,you don't need your doctors blessing to become one.
So I was pleased to see one enterprising doctor do a little smart marketing. I congratulate him for his efforts to take the sting out of what is for some people an unpleasant experience. Dr. Scott Hanlon, a family physician, will let you enjoy some wine right after you get that needle.

I find it rather ironic that a doctor will stay away from suggesting a glass of wine might be just what the doctor ordered but have no problem prescribing one of the anxiolytic ( anxiety reducing ) drugs. In fact according to the American Psychiatric Association 61 million prescriptions a year are written by doctors. One of the most successfull novels of all time was Jacqueline Susan's "Valley of the Dolls". It has sold more than 30 million copies. it details the use and abuse of uppers and downers. The "dolls" of course refer to the downers or mood altering drugs.
In a new book by Dr. David Herzberg, titled "Happy Pills In America - Our Complex Love Affair With Designer Consciousness" Dr. Herzberg states "Patients have always demanded sedatives and stimulants from their doctors, who generally oblige them"
Now I ask you, would it not be of greater merit to recommend a glass of the fruit of the vine from one of many wonderful wine producing valleys in the world ( Sonoma, Napa, Loire and here in British Columbia the Okanagan Valley or you name your own favorite wine valley ) rather than the very addictive drugs from the Valley of the Dolls?

Eat, Drink (Wine) and be Merry.....

..... for tomorrow you die! Or so British Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo and her anti-wine drinking cohorts would have women believe, if they consume one glass of wine a night. A report released by the minister claims that "Women who regularly drink too much are 50 percent more likely to develop breast cancer."
Ever since the now famous French Paradox was aired on the CBS weekly program "60 minutes" back in November of 1991, the clock has been ticking and almost weekly another "scientific" report tells us about the benefits of drinking red wine. The latest study from Spain states that polyphenols in red wine can prevent high blood pressure in older women. A new study at University of Rochester Medical Center shows antioxidants to be effective in killing pancreatic cancer cells. The media of course jump on these reports to bring you both negative and positive claims about the consumption of wine. Some of the evidence for the healthful benefits is almost anecdotal, some semi-scientific and but a lot are studies undertaken using classic scientific methods. None seem to be totally conclusive and will remain that way until a study involving a large number of wine drinkers, consuming equal amounts over a long period of time can be evaluated. In the meantime governments will continue to reap the benefits of collecting huge amounts of revenue in the form of additional taxes. Not much we can do about that, I guess. There are human endeavors that are much more dangerous than drinking your favorite glass of wine. Try white water rafting, mountain climbing, skiing or just plain driving your car. So my advice to you based on personal research over many years..... drink your wine and enjoy to the fullest, for tomorrow you....

Scales of Justice not tipped in favor of French Wine!

Just when the EU wine reforms have come to a tentative agreement allowing the French wine industry
to concentrate on winning back some market share from foreign competitors, a French court has dealt the industry another blow. As reported by Decanter, newspaper articles on wine will be subject to the same guidelines as alcohol advertising. C'est très tragique. Where will this madness end? Winery web pages must also carry a warning. Will French wine bloggers be targeted next?
We all know by now that drinking wine is good for your health. A study published in the European Heart Journal seems to agree. This is not just another "wine is good for your health" claim. This study took place over a twenty year span. Read the entire report. The last line in the report states "Thus, both physical activity and alcohol intake are important to lower the risk of fatal IHD and all-cause mortality." Sounds to me like a pretty strong endorsement for a glass or two of wine. Would a French newspaper dare to print that without running the risk of ending up in court? Have the scales of French justice tipped too far? For the rest of us, here is a suggestion.
Park your car a good distance from your usual wine shop, walk to it and purchase your wine, walk back to your car and go home to enjoy a glass or two. If its a particularly good wine and you want to get a case of it, that will mean a lot walking back and forth to fill that case. But with all that exercising you will live longer and as a bonus you will reduce CO2 emissions as well.
Dare I say "à votre santé"?

To Drink or Not to Drink Wine!

Consumption of red wine increased by 44% in the United States after the
airing of the French Paradox as reported by Morley Safer on 60 Minutes back in November of1991. Ever since, more and more research seems to confirm the healthful benefits of drinking red wine. Its those nice little
polyphenols at work when we consume red wine. There is even hope for diabetics as recent research indicates. And of course we know that a little wine is good "for thy stomach's sake." St.Paul, in his letter to Timothy advised drinking wine for stomach and other ailments. Take your pick as to which translation of the bible you prefer, the advise is the same. Paul may not have known the reason why it worked but it was sound advice. Conquering Roman armies always mixed wine with their drinking water because of concerns about the safety of their water supplies. And wasn't it nice of them to plant vineyards all over Europe while doing their conquering? Fast forward a couple of thousand years and you have governments trying to restrict the consumption of wine.
The imposition of the National Prohibition on the American public from 1920-1933 was a disastrous experiment doomed to failure. A lot of people suddenly seemed to have found religion as the consumption of sacramental wines soared. Of course the repeal of prohibition gave governments a wonderful source of tax revenues. UK wine drinkers are in for a tax increase on their wines if Health minister Dawn Primarolo has her way.
Middle class wine drinkers came under attack as she proclaimed:'[They] have drunk too much for too long.This has to change.'
"Should we be worried about middle-class wine drinking?" was the question posed by The Daily Telegraph. Some very interesting comments were received in response to the article.
I was not even aware that I am only supposed to drink 28 units of wine weekly until I read this report filed by Times wine critic Jane MacQuitty
Click on the lovely glass of red wine and tell me how many units I was drinking. I don't know and I certainly don't care. I pour myself a glass of a good red wine and then prepare to enjoy. So "Please" leave us wine drinkers alone. But as Plato once said: "Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber."

To drink or not to drink....Indian wine!

At a recent National Health Summit held in New Delhi "The red wine is good for your health" theory was given the boot by a group of Indian doctors. Dr.H.K. Chopra, a cardiologist, claims to have read 16 million articles on health and alcohol but has yet to find one proving the benefit of wine on cardiac health. The man must be exhausted after reading that many articles. No wonder he has no time to stop and have a glass of health- giving red wine. Of course, Dr. Chopra, it has not been proven yet. Not too many researchers are prepared to do an in depth study where participants are encouraged and required to consume wine. Not that they wouldn't have any takers ( I am ready). But rather it would be viewed as encouraging the drinking of alcohol and perhaps even turn a latent alcoholic into a confirmed alcoholic. That just wouldn't do. But there is plenty of anecdotal evidence about wine's health benefits. Another participant at the gathering, a Dr. Manchandra, is urging people to "Drink water, it will keep your body and mind clean". I agree with the keeping your body clean bit, that's why I have a shower everyday. But the keeping my mind clean part, I find a little bit more difficult to comprehend.
Meanwhile India's growing middle class is turning to wine at a rapid pace.
"Wine is more cool, hip and healthy than hard liquor," says stock analyst Ajay Singh, 28. The Indian wine industry is growing by about 35 percent annually.
Sula Vineyards (click on pic to see their Merlot) saw an increase of 45% last year.
Now if the government of India just gets rid of that nasty 260% tariff, there will be a good marketing opportunity, especially with all that world wide wine glut. Don't know about you, but I am going to continue drinking my red wines for my health and here is to yours!!

Red wine Rx for your health!

Professor Roger Corder, head of the Department of Experimental Therapeutics at the William Harvey Research Institute in London has published his scientific research indicating that red wines rich in polyphenols, specifically procyanadins, are potent inhibitors of Endothelin-1. Endothelin-1 causes constriction of blood vessels in the heart which leads to formation of atherosclerotic plaque. Polyphenols are chemical components in grape skins which account for color and mouthfeel. Phenolic ripeness leads to soft sweet tannins creating a full soft mouthfeel. According to Roger Corder
regions that produce wines with higher procyanidins have longer life expectancies among the locals. Wines from southwest France appear to have higher levels. The Mendoza region in Argentina is another wine region where polyphenols accumulate in greater amounts
due to increased sunlight intensity at higher altitudes. The Malbec and Cabernet sauvignon grapes are particularly affected. Another great marketing tool in the making? Perhaps we can bring these wines in duty free with a prescription from our doctor. How would the boys and girls at customs deal with this if we brought in our wines after a visit to some of these regions because our doctors prescribed them? For a good article on resveratrol visit this site.

As always click on the pics to see the larger versions but above all have another glass of health giving red wine.