8 reasons to drink wine for your health

If you're like me, you're probably feeling a little poorer and a little over-indulged after the holidays. As much as we love wine, I'm not sure that the body is meant to consume more than 1-2 drinks per day for 7 days straight, chased with a shortbread cookie or 10.

So I can understand your urge to drink a little less this January because it's a time of rejuvenation — financially and bodily.

But the good news for wine lovers is that wine does have some health benefits, if consumed in moderation (2 glasses of wine per day for men; 1 glass of wine per day for women):

• A moderate amount of alcohol can raise your HDL "good cholesterol" (which decreases your risk for heart disease) and thins your blood (MSNBC Health)
• Moderation consumption of alcohol reduces your body's production of "bad cholestrol," LDL cholesterol (Yale-New Haven Hospital)
• Resveratrol, a compound found in wine, acts as an antioxidant and prevents blood clotting, improves cardiovascular health and lowers the risk of coronary heart disease (MSNBC Health)
• Studies have found that moderate wine drinkers have lower body mass because alcohol may encourage your body to burn more calories for up to 90 minutes after consuming a glass of wine or beer (Health.com)
• Australian researchers have found that one glass of wine per day may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 50 percent (Health.com)
• Women who drink moderately appear to have higher bone mass than non-drinkers because wine boosts estrogen levels, which slow the destruction rate of old bones (Health.com)
• A study of women aged 70-81 found that moderate drinkers had 23 percent less risk for mental decline than non-drinkers (CBS News)
• Moderate red wine drinks have a "reduced risk of death," which means that they are less likely to die from any cause during a specific period  (Everydayhealth.com)

Photo: Eliza Adam