You’re all aware of how beneficial a good cab or pinot noir can be to a dinner party, or alongside a rare steak, but did you know that red wine health benefits are many and varied? It’s true: those commercials you always see touting the benefits of drinking a single glass of red wine each day are telling the truth. Recent scientific research is showing that the red wine health benefits are even more extensive than we thought, contributing to a boost in blood levels of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, providing a shield against the effects of aging on our bodies, and reducing the formation of the proteins that promote Alzheimer’s disease. Drinking red wine, it seems, isn’t just delicious; it’s also good for us.

cientists examined three groups from three different European Red Boost  countries, each composed of people with different eating and drinking habits. Regardless of which type of alcohol was consumed, there was an increase in omega-3 levels in the blood – but it’s already widely known that all alcohol increases omega-3 viability. What was interesting is that red wine had a greater overall effect than either beer or wine, even accounting for alcohol levels. The only logical conclusion is that red wine health benefits include a boost to omega-3 levels in the blood.

Resveratrol, a minor ingredient in red wine, was shown to activate a protein called sirtuin that protects cells from its own DNA. Inside very cell are huge spools of DNA, a tiny fraction of which is in use at any given time; sirtuin keeps the rest of the DNA under control in the meantime. But when breaks occur in our chromosomes, sirtuin is dispatched to repair them. As a result, the DNA the sirtuin was guarding is left free to wreak havoc on our cells. This period of unrest, scientists believe, is when aging occurs. Drinking red wine and taking in resveratrol could mean improved levels of anti-aging sirtuin.

Alzheimer’s disease occurs when certain toxic plaques form in the brain. These plaques are formed by proteins – proteins which are blocked by polyphenols. Polyphenols exist in red wine in large amounts, and they don’t just block the formation of the plaque-forming proteins. They also reduce the toxicity of existing plaques, thus helping to prevent further cognitive degeneration. So it seems that for people already afflicted with Alzehimer’s, the red wine health benefits are worth drinking a glass or two a day.

Mankind has been drinking wine since primal man found the first stash of fermenting grapes. Red wine remains the purest and least-processed form of mass-market alcohol, and the fact that these new red wine health benefits are being discovered should tell you that primal man had the right idea when he started drinking red wine. The aforementioned studies may not prove that red wine is the miracle cure for anything at all, but at least we’re on the right track toward understanding the role it plays in our health. In the meantime, drink up!

Mark Sisson is a former professional triathlete who runs a popular health and nutrition blog, Mark’s Daily Apple. Check it out for more great articles and information on the Primal Blueprint, a revolutionary health plan using the principles of human evolution as the basis for modern, high protein, healthy living.

I was driving to work the other day, enjoying my obligatory glass of morning stimulant. This morning it was a can of Red Bull, I didn’t have time to stop at Starbucks, and I noticed that the primary ingredient in Red Bull is Taurine. After hearing their commercial on the radio, I got to thinking. How exactly does Red Bull work, and does it really give you wings? Does it give you more energy? Does it make you more alert?

Well, upon inspecting the ingredients and doing some research, which wasn’t hard working as a bulk vitamin distributor, I found that the Red Bull wings reference may be more geared to mental well being than to actual body energy. At least this may be the case with Taurine. As it turns out, Taurine is an amino acid that is used in our body for a number of activities. A couple of which are to act as a neural regulator, and to protect heart function. Substantial amounts of Taurine are also found in our eyes and stomach bile. There is no doubt that Taurine is beneficial, but I could not find any data that indicated it would give you an energy boost.

After searching and searching, I realized that the “wings” reference may be geared more toward your mental state. As i indicated, Taurine acts as a neural regulator. In fact, it is one of those chemicals in our brain that is responsible for a calm positive mood. Perhaps the wings effect is referring to the fact that the Taurine in Red Bull will make you calm and clear-headed. There has certainly been data to demonstrate that Taurine is effective when dealing with stress. Another ingredient that would indicate that the “wings” tag line may refer more to your mental state is the ingredient Inositol. This is another compound that has been shown to have a positive, calming, effect on your mood.

What about an energy boost? In looking at the ingredients, Caffeine certainly jumps out as a major stimulant. Other than that, sugar is always effective at providing a good short-term energy boost. These are probably the main ingredients that will make you more “vitalized. ”

So does Red Bull give you “Wings? ” Well, the Taurine and Inositol in it will certainly make you feel good. It has caffeine, so there should be a small energy boost, and the other compounds listed can help with your metabolism. Overall, it should have a positive effect on your body, and at least make you feel a little calmer and more energized. As for wings, well, what would we do with them if we had them anyway?