If Wine contains most Anti-Oxidants then didn’t Bilbo know it!
Posted by admin on Dec 31, 2008
In Lord of the Rings Bilbo and family regularly downed a beer or two but for those special occasions, like the time Bilbo was turning 111, the preference was for wine. In fact, he and Gandalf shared some of his best vintage not long before he did his disappearing act. I wonder though, would the other Hobbits have drunk more wine if they knew that in the humble grape was hidden a little known anti aging secret that most would be happy to throw away!?
A Glass of Red Wine is Ok
A lot of people are aware of the benefits that come from drinking a glass of red wine. In countries like France where wine is invariably present at the dinner table the rate of heart disease is a good 50% less than the US. Statistics though, can be misleading! Although the figures should be treated with a degree of error (there are many other factors of lifestyle to consider) not many would argue against red wine being a significant contributing factor.
Not only does red wine lower the risk of heart attacks but reduces the clogging of arteries and lowers the risk of strokes.
Of course drinking red wine is somewhat of a double edged sword, especially when you drink too much. Alcohol in larger quantities is not good for the aging process especially when it comes to the brain. What we really need is grapes in their natural form to side step the negative aspects of drinking wine. However, to get similar benefits from drinking red grape juice you need to drink 3 times as much.
Turning grapes into a beverage is probably not the best way to help us live longer. A powerful anti aging secret of the grape is in the very seeds we tend to discard because of their bitterness!
Great Grape Seeds -Helping reduce Blood Pressure
The seeds of grapes have been shown to contain very powerful anti-oxidants. These special anti-oxidants help to slow aging of the brain and increase mental capacity. Importantly, the special anti-oxidants present in the seeds have also been shown to shrink Tumors. The special substance in the seeds is called proanthocyanidins. Many times stronger at fighting free radicals than Vitamin C or Vitamin E, Proanthocyanidins can help fight infections in much the same way as an antibiotic. So, if wine does contain most antioxidants the best are probably in the seeds.
The good news is that you can buy grape seed extract as a supplement. Even better you can use grape seed oil in your cooking. It can be used as a replacement for your regular oil and is pretty versatile as it has a very high smoke point.
If you still rather get the benefits from red wine, Proanthocyanidins have been found to be present at higher concentrations in wines from areas of southwestern France and Sardinia both of which have been associated with increased longevity in their local populations. I wonder how the wines of the Shire compared?
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