| Many studies have upheld the claim that light consumption of red wine has a number of benefits for the body. One benefit is thinning of the blood, which decreases the risk of stroke and cardiac disease, and also reduces the danger of blood clots. The resveratrol nutrient in wine reduces LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, which keeps arteries from developing plaque. Red wine also contains B vitamins, proteins, polyphenols, and minerals that can benefit your health.
Another benefit has to do with retarding the development of cancer. Again, the helpful ingredient is resveratrol, which activates a substance called SIRT1. This keeps DNA from mutating in a way that propagates cancer. The SIRT1 also regulates gene switch activity, making sure that the switches that might lead to the growth of cancer do not activate.
A third benefit involves antioxidants. These molecular compounds fix damage that the noxious by-products of oxygen do to cells. Such conditions as diabetes, heart disease, macular degeneration and cancer are easier to avoid with the work of these antioxidants.
However, drinking red wine can also have some negative effects, particularly if you find it difficult to stick to light levels of consumption (one to two glasses a day). These include several forms of cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, alcoholism, heart disease, obesity, and liver damage. Also, there are times when drinking wine isn't convenient, or even possible. Pregnant and nursing women, for example, are encouraged to avoid alcohol altogether, but there's no reason to forgo the nutritional benefits just because you can't open a bottle.
 So, the question is this: how can you get the benefits of drinking red wine without incurring any of the risks involved? One way is through a red wine powder that can be added to yogurt, or that manufacturers can add to chocolates and other products. The powder manufacturing process begins by gathering wine waste from vineyards and drying them with low heat. Not only is this a green process, because it stops the dumping of wine waste products into the ecosystem, but it also can be a benefit to health.
Another way to get the same health benefit is by taking supplements of resveratrol and polyphenols in capsule form. Supplements such as whole grape extract and optimized forms of resveratrol contain both nutrients.
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