OBC Food Rules-Day 43: Have a glass of wine with dinner

Wine may not be the magic bullet in the French or Meditterranen diet, but it does seem to be an integral part of  these dietary patterns.  There is now considerable scientific evidence for the health benefits of alcohol to go with a few centuries of tradtional belief and anectodal evidence.  Mindful of the social and health effects of alcoholism, public health authorities are loath to reccommend drinking, but the fact is that people  who drink moderately and regularly live longer and suffer considerably less heart diseases than teetotalers.  Alcohol of any kind appears to reduce the risk of heart disease, but the polyphenols in red wine (resveratrol in particular) may have unique protective qualities.  Most experts reccoommend no more than two drinks a day for men, one for women.  Also, the health benefits of alcohol may depend as much on the pattern of drinking as on the amount.  Drinking a little every day is better than drinking a lot on the weekends, and drinking with food is better than drinking without it.  Someday science may figure out the complex synergies at work in a traditional diet that includes wine, but until then we can marvel at its accumulated wisdom.