Wine and Health– The French Paradox

Wine has a worldwide reputation as being “naughty but nice”. In actual fact, however, “The French Paradox” would suggest there are tangible benefits to the consumption of wine.

The phrase refers to the discovery that although French people include in their diets as much animal fat as people in other European countries, the rate of mortality from heart disease in France is three times less.

This is partly attributed to the consumption of wine. A number of studies have concluded that wine has a protective effect against cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis amongst other diseases. This is mainly due to a type of polyphenol called “Resveratrol” which is found in the skin of red grapes and is a constituent of red wine.

It goes without saying that drinking wine in excessive quantities is anything but healthy. However, the moderate and regular consumption of wine may well prove beneficial to health – as well as pleasing to the palate!

On 18th November 2010 UNESCO added French Gastronomy, which includes French Wines, to the World Heritage list.