Is wine really better for your heart than beer?

This Week's Tip Is wine really better for your heart than beer? In several studies, moderate alcohol consumption has been associated with a reduced risk for certain cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease. But does your choice of drink really matter? Most health experts recommend the following hierarchy when choosing alcohol based on potential health benefits (such as antioxidant content): choose red wine over white wine; choose wine over beer; choose darker-colored beers over lighter-colored beers; and choose beer over hard liquor and liqueurs. But while a few research studies suggest that wine may be more beneficial than beer or spirits in the prevention of heart disease, most studies do not support an association between type of alcoholic beverage and the prevention of heart disease. At present time, drinking wine for its antioxidant content to prevent heart disease is an unproven strategy. It still remains unclear whether red wine offers any heart-protecting advantage over white wine or other types of alcoholic beverages. So if you already imbibe, do so in moderation (no more than 1 daily drink for women; 2 for men), and select your alcohol of choice. However, keep calories in mind; alcohol contains 7 calories per gram, and many drinks contain several hundred calories and lots of added sugar, which can be detrimental to your weight-management efforts. Diet-Friendly Alcohol Choices More Tips for a Healthy Heart   Heart Friendly Recipe Low-Sodium Breakfast Sausage Love your breakfast sausage but can't handle all the sodium? Try this lower sodium version: 25% less fat, and 1/10th of the sodium. Get the Recipe See More Healthy Heart Recipes Nutritional Info Servings Per Recipe: 4  Amount Per Serving  Calories: 147.7 Total Fat: 11.1 g Cholesterol: 37.5 mg Sodium: 36.0 mg Total Carbs: 0.6 g   Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g Protein: 10.1 g View full nutritional breakdown of Low-Sodium Breakfast Sausage by ingredient     From Our Healthy Heart Community spin points today (Team Forum) NEW GAME: Two words... change one. (Team Forum) More Forum Posts...       Was this e-mail forwarded to you by a friend? Join the mailing list. Change your e-mail address   You get 1 SparkPoint for reading today's email.   You received this email because you signed up for one of SparkPeople's email newsletters. To unsubscribe please do not reply to this message. Instead, you can use this link to unsubscribe from this newsletter. To remove yourself by postal mail, send a letter or postcard with your email address to: SparkPeople.com, 310 Culvert Street Suite 301, Cincinnati, OH 45202 SparkPeople.com offers general information and is for educational purposes only. sparkpeople.com is not a prescription system and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should consult your health-care provider before starting any nutrition or fitness program, and should consult with your provider about any concerns or questions. © 1999-2014 SparkPeople, All Rights Reserved | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy