Red Wine & Your Health

Why red wine is a healthy choice

I’m often asked how red wine is part of a healthy diet. Not only does it taste great and pair well with grass-fed beef (an excellent source of protein and healthy fat) but it also provides a number of additional health benefits.

As with all food, it’s important to be a discerning consumer when it comes to red wine. If you keep in mind a few considerations (which I’ll discuss below), red wine can be a healthy choice. Here’s why.

Red Wine & the Gut

Red wine is rich in phytonutrients, of which some of the most important are polyphenols. Polyphenols not only act as antioxidants but also serve to nourish good gut bacteria, such as Enterococcus and Prevotella. These bacteria produce chemicals that in turn nurture the entire body. And as I’ve previously discussed, enriching your microbiome is a powerful way to improve and protect your long-term health.

It’s important to note, though, that grapes grown with herbicides have fewer phytonutrients because they don’t need to fight off pests independently. And furthermore, we know that glyphosate – the active ingredient in RoundUp, a leading herbicide – changes the balance of the bacteria in the microbiome, setting the stage for leaky gut and autoimmune diseases.

As such, I’d recommend drinking wine that has been produced organically and naturally – i.e., without herbicides or intensive human intervention. Since commercial wines also undergo industrial filtration and processing, most of the shelf wine in the US doesn’t contain as many beneficial phytonutrients or yeasts, like S. cerevisiae.

Watching out for Alcohol Content

As you consume wine, it is important to note that moderation – no more than one glass of wine for women and two for men on a daily basis – is key, since alcohol in excess becomes toxic.

One of the easiest ways to keep your alcohol consumption at healthy levels is to choose wines with lower alcohol content. A great source of wines that I personally love – they’re low in alcohol, organic and natural – is Dry Farm Wines. Each of their wines is also low in sulfites, which kill bacteria, making their wines richer in bacteria that enhance your microbiome. Dry Farm Wines has a great offer for all of my readers so I highly recommend you give them a try if you’re interested in making a switch to organic, healthier wine.