We love red wine and dark chocolate. To call them “health foods” is stretching it, but each possesses healthy components. Whether you consider each as its own food group or only partake on occasion, there are ingredients in both that are considered beneficial to good health.
Health Benefits of Red Wine
Red wines, Pinot, Syrah, Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet, are all a good source of catechin and resveratrol. Catechin is a type of natural phenol and an antioxidant. Resveratrol can help reduce “bad” cholesterol. There is increasing evidence that drinking red wine in moderation can help prevent cancer. The antioxidents can help in the prevention of degenerative conditions such as Alzheimers, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
And if you drink red wine, you know its propensity for staining your teeth red, but did you know red wine can actually PREVENT tooth decay? Red wine hardens the enamel of your teeth, and hardened enamel is more resistant to the bacteria that lives on your teeth and is responsible for tooth decay.
Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Our favorite health food… dark chocolate! We have been known to enjoy a little square in the morning, afternoon or evening (with a glass of red wine!). Cocoa is loaded with antioxidents which help eliminate toxins that can cause disease. The darker the chocolate, the higher level of cocoa.
A new study at Harvard found that eating a small square of dark chocolate can help those with hypertension by lowering blood pressure.
Drinking red wine and eating dark chocolate doesn’t replace vegetables or exercise in the pursuit for better health (we wish!), but they do their little part!
Eat More Dark Chocolate! Drink (a little) Red Wine! Smile!
Your friends,
Susan and Bridget
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