By L.A. Williams, Correspondent
Christian Action League
December 23, 2013
Holiday parties often lead to increased alcohol consumption this time of year. And even as people resolve to get more fit in 2014, many regard a glass or two of red wine a day as part of their health regimen. But increasing numbers of studies show that it’s the grapes, not the alcohol content, that can promote wellness.
“The consumption of wine is not necessary to benefit from all the wonder nutrients in grapes,” according to a Dec. 19 release from PreventDisease.com, which extols the virtues of antioxidants in the skin, stem, leaf and seeds of grapes.
“‘Skip the wine and stick to grape juice,’ researchers say, and we couldn’t agree more,” said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League. “As so often is the case, science is bearing out what God’s word has told us all along.”
A study published in April by the American Journal of Public Health revealed that some 20,000 cancer deaths in the U.S. each year are caused by alcohol consumption, and the World Health Organization has labeled alcohol the third largest risk factor for disease burden.
“It doesn’t make sense to try to improve one aspect of our health with a substance so detrimental to so many areas, especially when we can get the health benefits directly from the fruit without the alcohol,” Rev. Creech added.
A study published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research in September revealed that pterostilbene, an antioxidant produced by plants such as red grapes and blueberries, fights infections, cancer and hypertriglycerides and also helps reverse cognitive decline.
Also flavonoids in grape juice raise the level of good cholesterol and promote cardiovascular health while resveratrol prevents the formation of tumors. Studies show grape juice can lower blood pressure, flush out toxins, help prevent infections and even play a role in warding off Alzheimer’s disease.
Contrarily, studies show even moderate consumption of alcohol for a relatively short period of time can have profound effects on structural plasticity in the brain.
“God’s word tells us in Proverbs 20 that ‘wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise,'” said Rev. Creech.
“We urge Christians to heed these words for both their spiritual and physical health. I think these recent studies challenge the notion of many well-meaning Christians who advocate for social drinking in any form.”
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