How does white and red wine affect blood vessels: does it widen or narrow their lumen?

Quite often you can hear the statement that in case of cardiovascular diseases, alcoholic beverages, although in small quantities, should still be taken. In particular, this applies to wine.

They say, drinking about 40-50 milliliters will dilate blood vessels and normalize blood pressure, thereby preventing the occurrence of hypo– and hypertension, as well as atherosclerosis.

In the conducted research scientists even studied the so-called "French Paradox", and came to the conclusion that moderate wine consumption really reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Other research also confirms this conclusion, but points out the particular importance of observing the measure.

In this article, we will look into this issue in detail.

How does the drink affect the lumen of the arteries?

The basis of wine is grape must, which has passed through the fermentation and filtration process. Its key characteristics are the final strength of the drink, the grape variety from which it is made, as well as the percentage of sugar in the final product.

The cardiovascular system and blood pressure are primarily influenced by ethanol and glucose. Learn more about the effect of alcohol on blood vessels can be viewed in a separate article.

How does the combination of glucose and ethyl alcohol affect the circulatory system? According to scientists, each of these components provokes an increase in blood pressure. And along with this, blood vessels expand (due to increased pressure, which literally presses on the walls from the inside). But this is only relevant for high doses of alcohol, from 70 milliliters or more. With a lower dosage, the effect on the circulatory system will be minimal (in most cases, the pressure remains at the same level).

Dry red

Key differences of dry red wine:

• Relatively low fortress (not exceeding 11%);
• Low sugar content (about 1%).

As practice has shown, its use practically does not affect blood pressure in any way. The heart rate increases by literally a few percent. When consumed over 150 milliliters, the pressure increased slightly, the vessels are expanding .

When drinking more than 250 milliliters, the pressure increases, but this is already a consequence of the high concentration of alcohol in the blood – the body thus stimulates the faster breakdown of ethanol derivatives.

What other effect does dry red wine have? You can highlight:

1. Slightly reduces the concentration of "harmful" cholesterol. But at the same time, it creates an additional burden on the liver.
2. Useful for blood vessels , as it improves the elasticity of the walls. Flavonoids, which are contained in large quantities in grape must, contribute to this.

Also dry red wine strengthens the heart , about which a separate article has been written.

Red fortified (sweet)

The strength of such wines is about 18% and even higher. And at the same time, the percentage of sugar in the finished drink is around 10-20%. During the fermentation process, ethyl alcohol is added to the wine.

That is why the drink turns out to be strong at the same time, but with a high sugar content (the longer the fermentation takes, the lower the percentage of sugar remains in the end).

From the point of view of cardiology, this wine is the most harmful to blood vessels , as it can provoke an increase in blood pressure. And this is more facilitated by the very high content of glucose. And alcohol complements this effect. The vessels expand at the same time, and the heart rate also increases.

White

White wine, as a rule, contains a low percentage of alcohol in its composition – up to 12%. But the amount of sugar can vary from 1 to 20%.

The higher the strength and amount of glucose, the stronger the drink contributes to an increase in blood pressure. The wine itself does not in any way contribute to the expansion or narrowing of blood vessels.

Of the additional qualities of white wine, it is worth highlighting:

• The presence of a large amount of antioxidants (has a tonic effect on the cardiovascular system);
• The presence of a large amount of tannins is almost 2 times higher than in red wine (they help strengthen the walls of blood vessels).

Effects on the brain

In theory – wine improves blood circulation in the brain . But in practice, with frequent alcohol abuse, there is a high probability of stroke – rupture of blood vessels due to excessive thinning of their walls.

Doctors claim that a small amount of wine will be useful for those who suffer from migraines or hypotension . In other cases, it is not worth abusing, and most of the beneficial properties of this drink can be replaced with ordinary grape juice.

Is it possible to drink it to clean blood vessels?

The wine itself only slightly contributes cleaning of vessels , due to the presence of phytoncides in the composition (which improve the elasticity of the walls and reduce the likelihood of formation of cholesterol plaques on them) and ethyl alcohol (it stimulates the breakdown of lipids that are part of atherosclerotic plaques).

But all this is relevant only when drinking small portions of wine.

But this drink can be used in combination with other components , which just help to clean the vessels. At the same time, wine will slightly increase blood pressure and accelerate the breakdown of low-density cholesterol.

3 therapeutic recipes based on it

To further increase the therapeutic effect of wine, you can prepare medicinal products and drinks based on it.

1. A remedy with garlic to reduce cholesterol

Garlic is one of the largest sources of essential oils and vitamin C.

Garlic helps to clean blood vessels, and also strengthens the immune system, neutralizes a huge range of toxins, prevents the development of oncological diseases.

Garlic tincture on wine is prepared as follows:

1. Take 2-3 large heads of garlic (about 70-80 grams), peel and grind to a pulp in a mortar (preferably take a wooden one, not a metal one, since upon contact with iron many phytoncides break down into derivative elements and will no longer benefit);
2. Pour 0.7 liters of red dry wine over garlic (with a minimum sugar content);
3. Seal the bottle and set aside for 7 days in a dark place at room temperature (carefully shaking the contents 1-2 times a day).

It is not necessary to filter the finished tincture.

Take 15 milliliters (1 tablespoon) 3 times a day with meals. The course of treatment is until all the prepared medicine is finished (about 15-20 days). Then a break of 10 days and a repeat course.

2. Tincture with dill

This remedy is recommended by many doctors to patients with insomnia – it is extremely useful for the vessels of the brain. It is prepared like this:

1. 45 grams of dill seeds should be passed through a coffee grinder (seeds can be purchased at any pharmacy);
2. Add 500 milliliters of fortified wine (cahors are perfect);
3. Insist at low temperature (in the refrigerator) for 10 days.

Take 50 – 70 milliliters 1 time a day (30 – 60 minutes before bedtime). Drink slowly, in small sips for 2-3 minutes. The course of treatment is 15 days.

3. Parsley with honey

This remedy belongs to cardiotonics. That is, strengthens the walls of the heart muscle , and at the same time accelerates the oxidation and breakdown of cholesterol in the liver. At the same time, it is customary to cook it on the basis of white wine in the warm season, and on red wine in the cold season. The recipe is quite simple:

1. Mix 200 grams of parsley (without roots), 200 grams in a glass container honey , 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 1 liter of wine;
2. Mix the whole mixture thoroughly, heat it up to 50 degrees in a water bath, then remove it from the heat and wrap it in a thick towel.

After cooling down, the medicine is ready. It should be stored at room temperature, protecting it from sunlight. Before use, filter (that's all, but as long as it takes).

Take 1 sip 7 days in a row (after dinner). Then a break for 7 days and a repeat course. And so – until the end of the entire medication (it will take about 1.5 – 2 months).

Review of other drinks

Everything is clear with wine – it increases the pressure, albeit slightly. And how do other common drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) work? Is it true that coffee also increases blood pressure and therefore it cannot be combined with wine?

1. Cognac reduces blood pressure , but only in small quantities. This drink acts as a tonic – it slightly dilates blood vessels. At the same time, the pressure decreases due to a slowdown in blood flow. But if you consume more than 50 grams at one time, the pressure will begin to rise, as the heart will begin to pump blood more actively (in order to get rid of ethyl alcohol derivatives as quickly as possible, which the body perceives as a toxin).
2. Vodka increases pressure and narrows blood vessels , since it contains a large amount of fusel oils (and for the body it is a toxin). Moreover, such an effect is observed already a few minutes after drinking alcohol (since vodka gets into the blood very quickly). And it also reduces the risk of increased atherosclerotic plaques, but still the harm that vodka will cause with frequent use is much higher than the benefit – it should not be abused.
3. Beer lowers blood pressure and dilates blood vessels . The diuretic effect of the drink also contributes to this. But the effect does not last long. And if you drink more than 200 milliliters of beer at a time, then the pressure will begin to rise, and the vessels will expand even more (along with this, the heart rate increases).
4. Tea helps to normalize pressure, dilates the vessels a little (acts as a cardiotonic). But green tea significantly reduces blood pressure – it is recommended to drink it if you are prone to hypertension.
5. The effect of coffee on human blood vessels ambiguous. After using it, the vessels of the brain constrict, which causes the pressure to rise (hypotonics are well aware of this). And along with this, the vessels that pass through the muscle tissue expand (this is how caffeine works). Moreover, doctors have not yet established why this is happening. And that is why it is recommended not to abuse this drink or give preference to decaffeinated coffee (it has no effect on blood vessels).

It is worth remembering that any alcohol dilates blood vessels. But if you drink a lot (about 60-70 milliliters of alcohol in recalculation), then the body will increase the speed of blood flow in order to get rid of ethanol derivatives faster. This causes the pressure to rise. If you drink more than 120-140 milliliters of alcohol (in terms of an alcoholic drink), then the veins and arteries begin to narrow.

In total, wine in moderation dilates blood vessels and slightly increases systolic pressure (literally by 2-3 mmHg) due to the action of a combination of phytoncides, ethanol and sugar. It should not be abused, and when used as a means to clean blood vessels, you should first consult with a qualified doctor.