The Wine Corner: Uncorking the benefits of a glass wine

Plato may have been wiser than he knew when he said, "Nothing more excellent or valuable than wine was ever granted by the gods to man."

Ever since "60 Minutes" broadcast its "French Paradox" expose in 1991 that proposed red wine decreases the incidence of cardiac diseases, there have been numerous studies supporting research extolling the benefits of red wine consumption.

Red wine's magic ingredients come primarily from the skin of the grape. Resveratrol protects the body's cells, keeping them young and strong. Saponins bind to bad cholesterol and ushers it out of the body. And flavonoids interfere with the multiplication of cancer cells.

Here is a compilation of the more interesting studies I have found in the last year. The thread that runs through all of them is that moderation is the key. One to two drinks per day is the recommended amount. And it goes without saying that eating healthy foods and daily exercise are the pillars of a healthy life.

Light to moderate wine drinkers live longer. Drinking a glass or two of wine daily could result in 3.8 more years of life, according to Dutch researchers who presented their findings at the American Heart Association's 47th annual conference.

A drink a day delays dementia. Italian researchers from the Department of Geriatrics at the University of Bari, in Bari, Italy, found the progression of dementia among the elderly is significantly slower in light to moderate wine drinkers.

Wine waste may help protect teeth one day. Chemicals found naturally in wine-making leftovers were found effective against harmful bacteria that cause plaque and tooth decay. The compounds may even one day be used in over-the-counter mouthwash, according to the study published late last year in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Moderate drinkers who also exercise are likely to live longer. A long-term study of nearly 12,000 people in Denmark found a reduced risk of life-threatening ailments among those who both drank alcohol and exercised.

Drinking wine linked to lower risk of lung cancer. Drinking wine is associated with a lower risk of developing lung cancer, according to a meta-analysis published in the November issue of Cancer Epidemiological. Earlier studies had found a possible correlation between a lower risk of lung cancer and different types of alcohol, but not wine.

Moderate alcohol consumption may improve memory. Rats that consumed moderate amounts of alcohol performed best on cognitive and memory tests. According to the study from study from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, drinking alcohol in moderate amounts may improve the ability to create and maintain memories properly.

Red wine compound reduces prostate tumor risk. Mice fed resveratrol, a compound found naturally in red wine, showed an 87 percent lower risk of getting prostate tumors, according to a study published online in the Journal of Carcinogenesis. The mice developed tumors in the prostate at a much lower rate than mice who were not given wine.

A drink a day helps the kidneys. Drinking alcohol in light to moderate amounts is linked to a lower risk of kidney cancer than abstaining, according to a team of researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Light to moderate drinkers show greater cognitive ability. Drinkers at all levels of consumption, from one drink a month to two drinks a day, performed better on thinking tests taken over time. The pleasure of drinking a glass or two of wine in the evening may also provide an additional brain gain, according to a team of researchers at Columbia University in New York.

Red wine may help keep vision crystal clear. Moderate wine drinkers had the fewest cases of cataracts in research conducted in Iceland. The study found that red wine drinkers had the lowest incidence of eye opacity compared to nondrinkers and people who drink primarily either beer or spirits.

Drinking alcohol may halt arthritis. Research finds mice given moderate amounts of alcohol were less likely to develop arthritis and to become crippled by it. A team of researchers at a university in Sweden found that low and steady doses of alcohol slowed the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in the mice.

Wine may contribute to strong bones. Scientists report new evidence indicates moderate wine drinkers have a higher average bone density than nondrinkers, according to research presented at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research's annual conference this month.

And last but not least, here is one that may interest our new president:

Moderate drinkers use Medicare less. A comparison of alcohol consumption habits found wine drinkers spent less on health care. According to a recent study in the Health Care Financing Review, a journal published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, light and moderate wine drinkers on Medicare each saved about $400 in health care costs annually.

My next column will be a report on wines from Tasmania and New Zealand, as I will be down under for the next few weeks attending wine festivals (one of the benefits of being married to an Aussie).