What benefits does red wine have for women’s health and what are its risks.

Wine has been shown to reduce risk of heart disease and slow progression of neurological and degenerative diseases such as  Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s.  However the amount of wine you drink matters tremendously.  Drink more than recommended and the health benefits are lost.

Women should have no more than 1 drink a day and men no more than 2 drinks a day.  A drink is classified as a 5 oz glass of red wine.

Red wine has been shown to increase HDL’s, thin blood and has flavonoids, such as resveratrol, that act as anti-oxidants in the body.  Anti-oxidants protect the body from damage at a cellular level.

There are certain conditions in which you should NOT drink wine unless you seek medical advise first.   These include:

1. High Triglycerides.  Alcohol will raise your triglyceride levels even more.
2. Breast Cancer.  Alcohol has been shown to increase the type of estrogen that is associated with breast cancer. (Estrone)
3. Migraines.  Alcohol triggers migraines in some people.
4. Weight gain.  Alcohol is empty calories and will cause weight gain issues to worsen.  One 5 ounce of red wine has about 120 calories.  So be aware of your consumption.