| For years, American researchers were puzzled by | | | | occurrence of heart attacks and heart disease, |
| the health and well-being of the French, whose | | | | helping to explain why the French fared so much |
| daily consumption of wine seemed to bolster their | | | | better compared to their American peers. |
| overall health. In the last few decades of the 20th | | | | But wine isn't simply of aid to the cardiovascular |
| century, a series of studies were conducted to | | | | system. Further study has revealed that a |
| determine how the consumption of wine could be | | | | moderate regular consumption of wine has other |
| so beneficial. Researches discovered that there | | | | health benefits, including fewer kidney stones. The |
| was a link between drinking wine during mealtimes | | | | same qualities in wine that help in the prevention |
| and the reduction of coronary heart disease. | | | | of clotting also help to reduce the formation of |
| Wine's positive effect on the cardiovascular | | | | the painful stones. In a study conducted with |
| system can be attributed to its effect on the | | | | seventeen popular beverages, including tea and |
| growth of arterial muscle cells. Researchers | | | | fruit juices, wine had the best rates of kidney |
| discovered that the timing of the wine | | | | stone prevention among both men and women. |
| consumption, specifically during meal times, was a | | | | Some researchers have noted that the tannins |
| key component to preventing the development | | | | present in red wine seem to be responsible for |
| of the smooth muscle cells. Blood tends to clot | | | | the beverage's particularly beneficial preventative |
| when exposed to fat, but wine appears to help to | | | | qualities. Tannins are specific polyphenols gathered |
| prevent clotting within the arteries. The eradication | | | | from plants, which bind proteins, amino acids, and |
| of clotting ultimately helps to stop the growth of | | | | alkaloids together. Although tannins contribute a |
| the smooth muscle cells, thereby preventing the | | | | somewhat astringent taste to red wine, they also |
| development of arteriosclerosis, a disease which | | | | help to strengthen the consistency and taste by |
| can build up fatty deposits in the arteries. | | | | binding so many different elements together. |
| Arteriosclerosis contributes heavily to the | | | | |