Wine and Health: The Pleasure of Moderation in a Toxic World
“Is wine good or bad? The question has been recurring for centuries, oscillating between demonization and celebration. Modern science seems to agree on one point: alcohol is a toxic substance, but – like many other things in our daily lives – the damage depends on the dose. In other words, the problem is not the glass of wine, but the bottle drunk alone every evening.
Meanwhile, we breathe polluted air, ingest pesticides in food and spread substances of dubious safety on our skin. But woe betide you if you enjoy a glass of wine without feeling guilty! Let’s try to clarify things, with a pinch of irony.
Wine between benefits and risks
Alcohol: A Toxin (But Also a Pleasure)
Let’s not beat around the bush: alcohol is a toxin for the body. The liver metabolizes it with great effort, and an excess can cause serious damage, from liver disease to an increased risk of cancer. However, what makes the difference is the quantity: it is abuse, not moderate consumption, that is a problem.
Science and Moderate Consumption
Organizations such as the AIRC (Italian Association for Cancer Research) and numerous scientific studies confirm that moderate consumption of wine – especially red – can have positive effects on health. Polyphenols, especially resveratrol, are known for their antioxidant and cardioprotective properties. In other words, a glass with meals could even be an ally for your health.
For this reason, most alcohol-associated cancers occur in people whose alcohol consumption exceeds the recommended thresholds: 20 grams of alcohol per day for men (the equivalent of two 125 milliliter glasses of wine) and 10 grams per day for women (about one glass of wine).
We live in a world where industrial food is loaded with preservatives and additives, fruit and vegetables contain traces of pesticides and the air in large cities is more toxic than a lit cigarette in an enclosed space. But, paradoxically, we worry more about the glass of wine than the hamburger full of antibiotics or the ultra-processed snack. In short, moderation should not only be applied to wine, but to our entire diet and lifestyle.
Apewineboxews’ Choice: Cleanliness and Respect
If the alcohol problem lies in abuse and quality, the solution lies in conscious selection. Apewineboxews has always chosen only wines produced with respect for nature and the consumer. No use of systemic chemistry in the vineyard, spontaneous fermentations, minimal interventions in the cellar: wine, for us, must be a pure expression of the territory, without compromises.
Yes, alcohol is a toxin. But in a world full of poisons, demonizing a glass of wine is simply hypocritical. The key is quality and moderation. If we choose to drink, let’s do it with awareness, with wines that respect the land and our health. And, perhaps, let’s enjoy that glass without too much guilt: we deserve it.
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