Drinking is good for your heart and waistline???

I bet you never thought you would hear that drinking is good for your heart and waistline. Ladies this one is for you. According to Reuters news agency and a report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, women who are light to moderate drinkers are less likely to gain weight. ( Light to moderate meaning 1 to 2 glasses a day). The study focused on 19,000 plus American women over a 13 year period and compared women who are light drinkers to non- drinkers. The study found that light-moderate drinkers were less likely to gain weight and less likely to become obese over time. It was red wine that they found to be the healthiest, as compared to beer and spirits that have actually been linked to causing the highest weight gain. In a report by Times Online they state the following :

"The research suggests that a calorie from alcohol has less impact on weight than a calorie from other foods and that the way the body deals with alcohol is more complex than realised. One theory is that in regular drinkers the liver develops a separate metabolic pathway to break down alcohol, with surplus energy turned mainly into heat, not fat."

In other studies red wine has been found to boost blood flow to our brains and to help lower the risk of heart disease. Some research has shown that red wine helps prevent blood clots and reduce the blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits.

Have you ever heard of the "French Paradox" ? French people have a very low occurrence of coronary heart disease and obesity even though their diet is high in saturated fats that is found in cream,cheese, butter, Pâté and so many other amazing French dishes. Some of the main factors as to why French people are thinner than other countries are smaller serving sizes, the use of Olive oil and of course Le Vin Rouge (red wine). French people drink wine with their meals and also cook with it, so they are ahead of this study. The French Paradox is a very interesting subject to read about, there is so much information out there so if you're interested do a quick search.

Now I'm not suggesting that everyone should start drinking every day. Moderation is always the key, not just with alcohol but as we all know with food - to much of anything is never good. Remember first you need to consult your physician to see if this is something you could benefit from.

Being that red wine is my favorite alcoholic drink , this report is great news to me. Having lived in Paris for some time I was greatly influenced by the French tradition of enjoying a glass of red wine with my dinner. So if you'll excuse me while I sit here and enjoy my amazing glass of Syrah, Santé! or a votre santé ! ( To your health!! now how perfect is that. )

**Please read the links above for more information and exact numbers on this study**