Does a glass of wine a day keep the doctor away?
by Adam Toffan , M.Sc, NSCA-CSCS, CSEP-CEP Assistant Fitness Training and Assessment Coordinator, Recreation Services at the University of Manitoba In honour of National Wine Day, which is May 25th this year, I want to discuss the health benefits (and risks) of having a drink every day. Having wine or any alcohol can have some great health benefits, but it is a slippery slope where increased consumption reaches a tipping point between health benefits and health risks. In this post, I want to cover both benefits and risks and what “moderation” means for men and women alike. Serving size A single serving of alcohol is classified as 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of liquor. This is an estimate with alcoholic beverages being made with different potencies, but a serving is considered 12-14 grams of alcohol. Why is a drink a day considered healthy? The active ingredient in alcohol is ethanol, which affects lipid levels (triglycerides and cholesterol) by increasing l