THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF DRINKING WINE

The negative side of wine 
Wine, however, is not for everyone. Certain medical conditions are worsened by the consumption of wine, so it’s vital you seek the advice of your personal physician. Here’s a few things to know:

•                High Triglycerides: One downside to wine consumption is that it can elevate triglyceride levels, which is associated with health problems such as diabetes.  Those who already have high triglycerides should, therefore, avoid or dramatically limit their wine (and alcohol) consumption.

•                Breast Cancer Risk: Studies have shown alcohol can increase estrogen levels and raise tumor progression in women with (or at high risk for) estrogen positive breast cancer.

•                Migraines: Wine is often a big trigger for people who suffer with migraine headaches. Although white wine contains more sulfites than red wine (sulfites are added to white wine to preserve its light color), red wine seems to be a much bigger migraine trigger. That’s probably due to the accumulation of histamines and tannins from prolonged contact with the skin.

•                Weight Gain: People who drink alcohol also consume empty calories, calories that lack nutrients and can lead to weight gain.

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•                Five ounces white or red wine = approximately 120 calories.  Drink a bottle of wine (4 glasses), and you’ll be consuming about 480 calories (that’s the equivalent of two 20-ounce Cokes!).

•                Here’s how alcohol compares to carbohydrate/protein/fat: 
1 gram carb = 4 calories 
1 gram protein = 4 calories 
1 gram fat = 9 calories 
1 gram alcohol = 7 calories

Joy Bauer is the author of “Food Cures.”  For more information on healthy eating, check out Joy’s Web site at www.joybauernutrition.com