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| Red Meat & Red Wine a Potent Combination for Good Health |
| Monday, 15 October 2007 09:58 |
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The Cattleman’s beef board points out that a 3 oz. serving of beef is an excellent source of protein and a good source of iron, zinc, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. I agree with everything they’re saying right until the 3oz. serving. I’m wondering about a 16oz Rib-eye grilled medium rare dredged in butter. I used to have to worry about the nasty side effects of artery clogging and heart disease. Here’s where our hero, Red Wine comes to the rescue.
The Cattleman’s beef board points out that, “Beef is a power pack of nutrients that benefits people of all ages in maintaining both day-to-day and long-term health. A 3 oz. serving of beef is an excellent source of protein and a good source of iron, zinc, niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12”. I agree with everything they’re saying right until the 3oz. serving. I’m sorry, but I’m not talking about the portion of my steak I cut off for my 6 year old son to eat. I’m talking about a 16oz Rib-eye grilled medium rare dredged in butter. That being the case I used to have to worry about the nasty side effects of artery clogging and heart disease. Here’s where our hero, Red Wine comes to the rescue. You see red wine is endowed with Resveratrol. Yes, that’s right. In addition to all the heart healthy, stress reducing effects of alcohol, red wine also has Resveratrol. Resveratrol, in particular, has been demonstrated to be a potent anti-oxidant and been proven to have an anti-clotting effect that prevents the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels i.e. may help to prevent heart attacks and strokes. There’s also a side bonus as Resveratrol has been demonstrated to have anti-cancer effects as well. We’ve known for some time that the incidence of heart disease and cancer among populations who consume a lot of red wine is dramatically less than those that don't, even though they may also have a high fat diet (known as The French Paradox). Now we know the rest of the story. Resveratrol is found in the leaves, twigs, and bark of the grape vines. Thus, red wine, which is fermented with the skins, seeds and twigs, tends to contain much larger quantities of the beneficial substances than white wine which is fermented only from the pressed juice of the grape. So, eat what you want, drink red wine and be merry as it’s good for you! |
Most of you reading this remember Julia Child. In addition to being a fantastic chef she was also a worthy philosopher and I for one have lived by one of her mantras, “The only time to eat diet food is while you are waiting for the steak to cook.” Now, the question is, “Is there any science behind this that would allow me to win arguments or at least mitigate the beatings I suffer at the hands of bottled water drinking vegans?
