Red Wine: For Your Health

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

The news is flavonoids, a nutritional and medicinal miracle found in
both lemons and grapes. As a powerhouse of vitamin C, lemons have long
been accepted as beneficial internal and external “cleaners,” great
for acne, colds, bronchitis, canker sores, hangovers, and bad breath.
With the recent research on flavonoids, the role of the beautiful yellow
fruit has been expanded. It is now thought to have an impact on the
treatment of more serious illnesses such as high blood pressure,
osteoporosis, rheumatism, and even varicose veins. All this is in
addition to its traditional multiple uses as a food flavoring and in
beauty-care products.

Moderate daily consumption of red wine as a heart disease preventative
is based on “the French Paradox.” This study concluded it is the
flavonoids in red wine that give the people of France a lower incidence
of heart disease although they have a high-fat diet and high rates of
smoking. The two booklets are surprisingly detailed, given their size,
with enough facts and data to make a strong case for increasing the
level of flavonoids in the typical North American diet. Both works are
attractive, with color illustrations, sidebars, and a clean, uncluttered
layout. The writing style is direct, pitched to a slightly
higher-than-average reading level.