It’s long been thought that red wine possesses many positive health benefits, but today, wine lovers, your dreams are going to be answered. A new scientific study has shown that, on top of all the other reported benefits, a small glass of red wine a day can be more beneficial for you than an hour at the gym!
Yes, you read that right… there’s scientific proof that red wine is better than the gym! Kinda.
The Science
Scientific researchers at Canada’s Univerisity of Alberta discovered a natural compound called resveratrol in nuts, grapes and none other than red wine. Principal investigator, Jason Dyck, and his team found that high doses of resveratrol in mice improved physical performance, heart function and muscle strength.
Jason told Science Daily, “Resveratrol showed results similar to what you would see from extensive endurance exercise training… I think resveratrol could help patient populations who want to exercise but are physically incapable. Resveratrol could mimic exercise for them or improve the benefits of the modest amount of exercise that they can do.”
Well if science says it’s true then who are we to argue?
The Good News
In layman’s terms, what this actually means is that red wine possesses ingredients which create a similar effects of a session at the gym. So next time you drink a glass of red wine you can strengthen your heart, muscle, and bones just as you would during a workout all without breaking a sweat! The question is – how much is too much?
The Bad News
Before you start rejoicing and run out of the house to replenish your wine supply, this doesn’t mean that you can strawpedo a bottle of wine each night. Wine is only good for you when it’s one small glass a day. Three glasses don’t count as a three hour gym session. Also, as you may have guessed, this only applies to red wine drinkers. Sorry white lovers!
Want to know more about the health benefits of wine? See our article on ‘is drinking a bottle of wine a day bad for you? Also, did you know that wine has benefits when rubbed into your skin? Check out our feature on 6 wine-based beauty products. And for those who want to go the whole hog, why not try a full-on wine spa… in Argentina!