It’s a well-known fact that drinking a glass of red wine for dinner has benefits for your health. Started as a pop-culture myth, it was soon confirmed by doctors. Cardiologists, mainly, advise people to consume moderate quantities of red wine to prevent a number of heart diseases from developing.
Recently, more studies have been conducting, targeting red wine, its benefits and detriments. Red wine was given to laboratory mice, and it seems that the health and lifespan of the little critters had significantly improved. After analyzing several compounds of said red wine, scientists came to the conclusion that resveratrol, one of the wine’s smallest ingredients, is the one responsible for the help.
All opened wines will oxidise and this is the process which turns wine to vinegar. This process is influenced by a few factors and here is a few tips to take into account with regards to wine “going bad”.
After opening a bottle of wine it just takes a few days for the wines to “go bad”. The time which it will “stay good” depends on a few factors.
Both red and white wines will oxidise once exposed to the elements and will eventually convert into vinegar. Essentially, the only wines that keep for any length of time after removing the closure are fortified ones (ports and sherries).
Typically, white wines will turn sour faster than reds and the process is accelerated by higher temperatures; by replacing the cork or screwcap and keeping the wine in the fridge, oxidation is inhibited but not avoided.
A rule-of-thumb says that letting an open bottle of wine stand on the counter accelerates the ageing process by one year for each day opened.
If this is the case, a red wine intended to age for a few years may be propelled to age in this rather crude fashion. The counter is that in opening a bottle of wine and not finishing it in one sitting, there is the opportunity to drink it up to several days later.
A white wine does not usually last longer than two days after opening and being stored in the fridge.
Is wine good for you? In moderation and as part of an overall healthy diet, the short answer is yes!
Thanks to its alcohol content and non-alcoholic phytochemicals (natural occurring plant compounds), wine has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and slow the progression of neurological degenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.
However, the amount of wine you drink matters tremendously. Drink more than what’s recommended, your health benefits are lost and your health risks go up.
Here’s what’s considered safe and effective:
Men: No more than two drinks per day.
Women: No more than one drink per day.
“I love everything that’s old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine.” — Oliver Goldsmith
“And wine can of their wits the wise beguile, make the sage frolic, and the serious smile.” — Alexander Pope
“A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover.” — Clifton Fadiman
“Don’t worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.” — Winston Churchill
“What would men be without women? Scarce, sir, mighty scarce.” — Mark Twain
Life Question: Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale
“Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.” — Anonymous
“Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.”
If food is the body of good living, wine is its soul.” — Clifton Fadiman
“If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.” — Anonymous
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, “Where’s the self-help section?” She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
Good news for chocolate, wine and tea lovers as consuming the three delights daily actually helps improve your cognitive performance.
Researchers in Norway and the Oxford University studied the relation between cognitive performance and the intake of three common foodstuffs that contain flavonoids (chocolate, wine and tea) on 2,031 older people aged between 70 and 74.
Participants filled in information about their habitual food intake and underwent a battery of cognitive tests.
Those who consumed chocolate, wine, or tea had significantly better mean test scores and lower prevalence of poor cognitive performance than those who did not. The team reported their findings in the Journal of Nutrition.
The role of micronutrients in age-related cognitive decline is being increasingly studied. Fruits and beverages such as tea, red wine, cocoa, and coffee are major dietary sources of polyphenols, micronutrients found in plant-derived foods.
The largest subclass of dietary polyphenols is flavonoids, and it has been reported in the past that those who consume lots of flavonoids have a lower incidence of dementia.
The latest findings seem to support the theory, although the researchers caution that more research would be needed to prove that it was flavonoids, rather than some other aspect of the foods studied, that made the difference. The effect was most pronounced for wine.
Las Vegas rock group The Killers, entertained South African crowds over the weekend and it seems that the poor organizing are over shadowing the bands performance.
Blogs and online debates indicate that the band gave an exceptional performance but the organising of these events came under scrutiny.
News24 reports that not everyone is happy with The Killers’ first concert in South Africa. Some have complained about the organisation at both the Johannesburg and Cape Town events.
Concert-goers indicated that the sound at the Coca Cola Dome in Johannesburg wasn’t acceptable, that the band seemed “listless”, and that there weren’t enough golden circle arm bands for those who bought these tickets.
In Cape Town some fans said that they experienced major traffic problems to and from the venue, waiting for more than two hours to get into the venue in some cases.
The band seemed to acknowledge that there were problems at the Val De Vie Estate near Cape Town.
“Thank you Cape Town for braving the traffic and being a fantastic crowd. We know a lot of you are still trying to get home…” they wrote. Organisers BIG Concerts said that they made every effort to get fans to the venue early.
According to John Langford from BIG Concerts they advised people to come early, because they knew there would be some challenges with an outdoor venue. But the traffic trouble was even worse after the concerts.
It seems that the Cape struggles with concerts of “big” entertainers because a few years ago the same admin,traffic and parking problems occurred at a Celine Dion concert at Vergelegen.
Springbok wing and immensely popular Bryan Habana has claim the top spot as South Africa’s favourite sports star by beating the likes of Makhaya Ntini, Teko Modise, Graeme Smith and Morne Steyn to the number one spot in 2009.
South Africans voted the Springbok wing their most popular sports star in the 21st BMI Adult Sporttrack Report, the only totally representative study conducted among adult South Africans and containing analyses across over 40 sports codes.
While Habana enjoyed the majority support, 2009 PSL Footballer of the Year Modise gave him a strong run for first place.
The Orlando Pirates star, who was recently appointed as McDonald’s ambassador for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, jumped from fifth spot in 2008 to second this year.
Proteas captain Smith moved up the rankings from 13th to seventh, but former number one Ntini is still the country’s most admired cricketer, slotting in at number five.
The country’s number one golfer, Ernie Els, dropped off the list last year, but made a remarkable comeback despite a winless season. The Big Easy took up the number 11 slot to leapfrog Springbok kicking machine Steyn.
Steyn cracked the top 20 for the first time, coming in at number 16.
Overall, the top 20 includes nine football players, four cricketers, two swimmers and one golfer and athlete each.
The guests have arrived and you had a braai in mind but the weather is not permitting a braai. What to do now?
The best bet is not to try and fight the elements by asking your guests to stand outside and face the wind and/or rain with you. Go inside and prepare the chops on the stove and enjoy the company.
Here is a great and easy recipe to save your braai day.
Serves: 4
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
• 1 small spaghetti squash (1.3kg)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 small lamb shoulder chops (about 1kg)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and black pepper
• 4 scallions or green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, sliced
Directions
1. Cut 2cm from both ends of the squash and cut in half lengthwise. Microwave on a plate, cut-side down, on high until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the lamb with the cumin, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper. Cook to the desired doneness, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.
3. Scoop out and discard the squash seeds. With a fork, gently scrape the strands of squash flesh into a bowl. Toss with the scallions, mint, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper. Serve with the lamb.
Drinking red wine in moderate amount helps to rinse teeth clean of bacteria during and after meals, says a new Study
Earlier studies have linked moderate red wine intake with everything from improved longevity to diminished risk of cardiovascular and neurological diseases.
And because the new study was conducted with non-alcoholic red wine, even teetotallers can enjoy dental benefits, reports ABC Science.
Co-author Professor Gabriella Gazzani, of Pavia University in Italy, said that alcohol’s cavity-preventing benefits are already well known and that’s why they investigated “de-alcoholised red wine to verify if substances different from ethanol with anti-strep properties occur in this beverage.”
The researchers purchased red wine from the Veneto region and removed the alcohol using a technique called vacuum concentration.
They then cultured Streptococcus mutans, a common bacteria that feed on sugars in food and contribute to tooth enamel demineralisation, which often results in cavities.
In the lab, the bacteria easily mixed with saliva and saliva-coated pulled teeth, along with saliva-coated calcium ceramic beads.
However, when the non-alcoholic red wine was added to each one, the wine prevented S. mutans from clinging to teeth and saliva.
Next, the researchers determined that the active components in red wine that protect teeth are proanthocyanidins, naturally occurring flavonoid compounds previously found to have antioxidant properties.
The compounds are in many plant edibles, such as apples, cinnamon, cocoa and teas.
The researchers do think that proanthocyanidins could be separated from wine and studied for their potential oral health benefits.
Acids and sugars in some wines may actually contribute to tooth decay, so isolating wine’s tooth-supporting components could lead to an even more beneficial product, at least from a dentistry standpoint.
In separate research, scientists from Laval University in Quebec, Canada found that polyphenols in red wine also help to control immune cell response in gums to bacterial infection.
Two University seniors had a week of exams coming up. However, they decided to party instead. So, when they went to the test, they decided to tell the professor that their car had broken down the night before due to a very flat tyre and they needed a bit more time to study.
The professor told them that they could have another day to study. That evening, both of the boys crammed all night until they were sure that they knew just about everything.
Arriving to class the next morning, each boy was told to go to separate classrooms to take the exam. Each shrugged and went to two different parts of the building. As each sat down, they read the first question.
“For 5 points, explain the contents of an atom.”
At this point, they both thought that this was going to be a piece of cake, and answered the question with ease.
Then, the test continued… “For 95 points, tell me which tyre it was.”
