There’s a good excuse to sip a glass of wine every night! According to experts, a glass of red wine before bed brings a lot of benefits. From helping you fall asleep faster to lowering your blood pressure, your guilty pleasure actually gives some perks. Below, I discussed 7 benefits of drinking red wine before bed that will encourage you to sip a glass at dinner time.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: While red wine brings a lot of benefits, you should always drink in moderation. Remember, you only need a modest glass a night, not a whole bottle. Anything in excess isn’t healthy.
1. Red wine is good for your heart
A glass of wine before bedtime is proven to promote heart health. It lowers bad cholesterol while increasing the good cholesterol in your body.
Resveratrol is the compound on red wines that provide a myriad of health benefits. It helps lower blood pressure through the increased production of nitric oxide that, in turn, relaxes the blood vessels. In fact, a 2019 study showed that red wine has an association with a lower risk of coronary heart disease. It’s also suggested that red wine may have cardio-protective benefits, although it needs further studies.
Moreover, a study of the American Heart Association showed that red wine could help reduce heart attacks. Red wine is believed to reduce heart attack rates by up to 50%.
However, remember that this benefit is achievable only if you drink in moderation. For women, the Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) recommends one glass a day while two for men.
Lastly, red wine is found to improve longevity. A glass of red wine a day helps balance your cholesterol level and blood pressure.
2. It helps you fall asleep faster
Are you suffering from insomnia? Toss the sleeping pills away and switch to a glass of red wine before you hit the bed. Aside from falling asleep faster, you will also enjoy the other benefits discussed here.
Sipping five ounces of red wine about 1.5 hours before sleeping will yield the best results. It will make you calmer, and before you know it, your eyelids are heavy like stone.
The alcohol content will help you sleep faster and deeper. However, since red wine contains alcohol, it’s best to let your body process the alcohol for an hour and a half before dozing off.
By drinking your glass of red wine earlier, you can avoid the negative side effects of taking alcohol close to bedtime.
However, since it’s easy to be tempted to pour another glass, it’s important to know that too much will give you a bad hangover the next morning. You wouldn’t that on a workday or if you need to wake up early.
3. Red wine helps reduce inflammations
Again, we have to thank the resveratrol compound for this benefit. Taking your dose of resveratrol through red wine will help reduce the inflammatory responses of your body. That means less pain and reduced risk to various illnesses.
However, this benefit can get tricky, especially if you’re prone to overdrinking. Too much alcohol can defeat this benefit so you must stick to a single glass before bedtime. If you want to binge, you might as well reserve it on a weekend when you don’t mind waking up with a hangover.
Aside from reducing your pains and aches, red wine can help slow down aging. The compounds on this spirit will increase the firmness of your skin while giving you additional protection again sun damage. Again, this is only possible if you will not over-indulge yourself.
4. It aids your weight loss
For those who are on a weight loss regimen, red wine is a good addition. Red wine is found to have fat-burning properties that aid your weight loss. Still, red wine is no magic potion, so you should also pair it with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
A moderate amount of alcohol also boosts blood flow, so more nutrients are transported all over your body. Aside from that, drinking a glass of wine before bedtime helps increase your testosterone and adiponectin hormones. These two hormones are responsible for burning fat and building muscles. That’s a great way to cap a day of an intense workout.
But just like any benefit, there’s a threshold you need to observe if you want red wine to work on your side. A five-ounce glass a day is ideal to enjoy the fat-burning benefits.
Before you add red wine to your diet, make sure that you consult with your nutritionist first. This way, the wine will not put your diet on disarray.
5. Red wine reduces the risk of stroke
Another benefit that red wine brings is the reduction of your risk toward ischemic stroke.
Ischemic is one of the three types of stroke that occurs when a blockage forms in an artery responsible for supplying blood to your brain. When the blockage occurs, your brain will have reduced blood and oxygen supply. Over time, it will lead to the death of your brain cells.
This perk is somewhat connected to the heart health benefit I discussed above. The compounds on red wine relax the arteries while increasing the blood flow in your body. Also, alcohol thins your blood, which is why red wine helps in alleviating the risk of stroke if taken modestly.
Take note that over-consumption of red wine can exaggerate this benefit leading to poor blood clotting. This is another reason why you should stick to a single glass before bedtime.
6. It’s good for your gut
One of the benefits of drinking red wine before bed that I really enjoy is its effect on my digestion. The polyphenols found on red wine as well as grapes have been found to improve the gut flora. Aside from that, some compounds on red wine act as prebiotics that promote better digestion. In short, less tummy aches on your part!
During dinner, you can include a glass of wine to aid your digestion. It converts potentially harmful chemicals into tolerable molecules that your digestive system can process. Besides, nothing is classier than sipping red wine during a meal!
Some people complain about wine causing bloating. The key here is to stick to red instead of white since the former has less sugar. Also, avoid drinking gin since it doesn’t have polyphenols, and it only messes with your digestion.
7. Red wine helps those with Type 2 diabetes
A glass of red wine added to your dinner will help reduce cardiometabolic risk if you have Type 2 diabetes. Experts believe that the ethanol content of red wine helps metabolize the glucose in the body. Still, this benefit begs for more studies to support the initial findings. And if you have diabetes, it’s worth checking with your doctor if it’s okay to consume red wine.
Usually, a five-ounce serving will not hurt your diet. If you get the green light of your doctor, you will also enjoy other benefits here. For those who are suffering from both diabetes and high blood pressure, red wine can help a lot if paired with regular consultation with a doctor.
Before you pour another glass…
While there are many benefits of drinking red wine before bed, you should keep the following reminders in mind:
✔️Moderation key. If you want to enjoy the utmost benefits of drinking red wine, you should only drink a modest amount a night. Cap it at five ounces and no more. Over-indulging will defeat all the possible benefits that you should be enjoying.
✔️Consult with your doctor. If you have a serious medical condition, you should always consult with your doctor first. The same goes for those who are under prescriptive medication as alcohol may have contraindications to certain medications.
✔️Eat before drinking. Drinking red wine, or any alcohol for that matter, in an empty stomach will cause the alcohol to enter the bloodstream faster. It’s best to sip your red wine with dinner instead of downing a whole glass like you’re gulping water.
Conclusion
The benefits of drinking red wine before bed are only achievable if you will stick to a modest amount. Red wine can help reduce your blood pressure, improve gut health, and help you sleep better. It’s also beneficial for those who are trying to lose weight or has a high risk of ischemic stroke.
What do you think of these red wine benefits? Let us know below!
