Why I like Tempranillo Red Wine After suffering through a pandemic when, for many people, a glass of wine helped them enjoy one of the little indulgences that were to be enjoyed in their own home, we read, "There are three periods in life when people are most at risk from alcohol consumption."

It's a real downer to read that Australian scientists have narrowed down the three stages in life when the effects of even moderate alcohol consumption are most harmful: from before you are born, between the ages of 15 and 19, and when over 65 years old. The article goes on to emphasise, "There is an undeniable cumulative effect of alcohol use on cognitive health across the life span."

But if you already enjoy a glass of red wine with your evening meal, drinking it in moderation appears to help your heart. Antioxidants in red wine, called polyphenols, may help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. A polyphenol called resveratrol is one substance in red wine that's got attention for its health benefits.

Any link between resveratrol and fewer heart attacks isn't completely understood, but part of the benefit might be that resveratrol may increase levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) and protect against cholesterol buildup.

Resveratrol in red wine The resveratrol in red wine comes from the skin of grapes used to make wine. Because red wine is fermented with grape skins longer than white wine, red wine contains more resveratrol.

The study, which is published in the July/August issue of the journal Nutrition, is a follow-up to earlier experiments from the same team that found that drinking 300 ml of red wine a day could contribute significantly to the daily recommended intake of resveratrol.

The researchers picked Tempranillo grape wine because they found that that variety has high levels of antioxidants. For their latest research, the scientists, based in the Department of Metabolism and Nutrition, Instituto del Frío, Madrid, wanted to evaluate the effects of a rich red-wine grape on the cardiovascular systems of both healthy volunteers and those with high cholesterol.

Resveratrol might help prevent damage to blood vessels, reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and prevent blood clots, but more research is needed to determine if resveratrol lowers the risk of inflammation and blood clotting.

Geoff