Who doesn't love red wine? Consumers like to pair it with meat and dessert, a romantic picnic staple or a top-off for a relaxing evening by the pool. What most people don't know is that red wine can be medicinal. 

Red wine has been found to contain resveratrol, a wine characteristic that has found to help aid in cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks. In the 80's, a link was found between drinking wine and a decrease of heart attacks and stroke. Studies have indicated that it lessens the likely risk of dying from a heart disease.

It also appears that red wine can be a liquid factor for the prevention of cancer, cure for Alzheimer's and can even extend one's life by a few more years. This is what conventional and modern studies have found that helps man move forward when it comes to healthy living. 

Dr. Howard Sesso from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts had this to say:

The evidence is more firmly in place for red wine preventing heart disease, diabetes and a few other vascular (conditions) compared to cancer and dementia.

So, Sesso agrees that the resveratrol in red wine can have additional positive benefits to health. But would most likely attribute it to alcohol.

The study being conducted on cancer and dementia is quite grey. There is no black and white on the matter. Some studies found red wine to have a negative mark on cancer therapy as researchers have shown results that red wine drinkers had a higher risk of cancers especially when it comes to the liver and the breast. But that's not conclusive as other factors are being considered in the study towards cancer research such as diet, exercise, alcohol intake and smoking.

But in the "ye olden days", people back then used wine unconventionally. Red wine has been used as an additive to drinking water to kill possible bacteria thereby making it potable for their taste. 

In a much more recent study, the anti-microbial properties of red wine can be possibly used to prevent cavities. Good news for those afraid of dentists and drills!

Are you planning to have red wine this Christmas? Don't worry, experts say it's still safe to have a glass of red wine a day - unless, of course, you have a medical condition that prohibits you to drink wine. 

Go ahead and have a glass of red wine cheer this Christmas, Hippocrates says red wine is good for digestion especially after you've had that ham, as studies have indicated.

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