Health Benefits of Red Wine

The health benefits of red wine have been utilised throughout its history going back approximately 8,000 years. Historians believe that it was first produced in the European and Asian areas - particularly in present day Georgia and Iran. It is made by fermenting different varieties of grapes. There are six main types of red grape varieties that are used to make different types of wines. Of these six types of grape varieties, it is not known which was cultivated first.
Main Types of Grape
Cabernet Sauvignon is a fairly new type of grape used to make wine that may not have been used for wine production until the 18th century. These types of grapes have gained recent popularity in Australia.
Chianti - This grape dates back to the 15th century and is Italy's best known kind of wine.

Merlot - The merlot grape goes all the way back to the first century and is most commonly cultivated in France.
Pinot Noir - Another grape that is common to France. Wine made from this grape dates back to the time period of the Roman Empire and was used by Christian monks.
Sangiovese - This grape is believed to come from Tuscany in the 1700's. Currently it is successfully grown in California as well.
Zinfandel - This grape was discovered in the United States in the 1830's and is currently used for producing wine in California.
Health Benefits of Red Wine
It helps with sleep - while people are usually cautioned about alcohol actually interfering with sleep, red wine which contains a key ingredient called melatonin can help with sleep. This anti-oxidant helps to regulate one's internal clock and besides helping with sleep, melatonin can also help to prevent cancer.
It is good for the heart - consuming moderate amounts of red wine can do a number of good things for the heart. Because it contains antioxidants called flavonoids, drinking red wine can raise HDL levels, which is the good cholesterol that everyone wants; it can also lower LDL levels, which is often described as bad cholesterol. Drinking red wine can also act as a blood thinner which can prevent dangerous clotting.
It may reduce the risk of disease - as mentioned, red wine contains antioxidants that are not only good for the heart but for the rest of the body as well. Antioxidants can actually repair cells that have been damaged by free radicals and can reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes, macular degeneration and certain types of cancer.