“Every now and then we go just a little bit further than the two recommended glasses of wine a day. But, of course, that’s just about living life and sometimes reaching for as much pleasure as we can grab,” writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.

I WAS in training for the walking, biking and kayaking that I undertook in NZ recently. I was conscious of the need to eat well and to reduce extraneous calories. 

How much weight do I gain from the two glasses of wine I generally drink with my dinner (90 per cent of the time a red)? Is red wine healthy?

I already knew that red wine is touted as containing anti-inflammatory properties although alcohol per se (ethanol) has the opposite effect. The Mayo clinic website says this about the ingredient in red wine, as well as in grape juice, known as resveratrol, that has been isolated as beneficial.

“Some research shows that resveratrol could be linked to a lower risk of inflammation and blood clotting, which can lower the risk of heart disease. But other studies found no benefits from resveratrol in preventing heart disease,” the website says. 

Another website reminded readers that the benefits of red wine are only conferred when the consumption is moderate and there is an otherwise healthy lifestyle. 

The Mayo Clinic’s recommendations are consistent with that proposition. They advise not to drink alcohol, but if you already drink red wine, do so in moderation. They say that for healthy adults, moderation means (one drink being 148 millilitres or five ounces):

• Up to one drink a day for women of all ages.
• Up to one drink a day for men older than age 65.
• Up to two drinks a day for men aged 65 and younger.

This recommendation is not a reflection of sexism. It seems that the limit for men is higher because men generally weigh more than women and have more of an unnamed enzyme that metabolises alcohol. 

I looked up a technical, medical paper on how alcohol is metabolised by the body to establish that there are, in fact, two critical enzymes that I believe were being referred to: alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2). There’s more here.

Plus each five-ounce glass of wine contains around 120 calories, so that’s 240 extra calories for the two glasses of wine with dinner that have to be taken into the reckoning when weight loss and fitness are on the agenda. You need to walk for about 50 minutes at a medium pace to burn off the calories from two glasses. There is also the factor that sometimes after drinking two glasses of wine, you get the munchies and decide that an extra chocolate bar is okay to consume. So there’s also your emotional control to think of: wine loosens inhibitions. 

Michele Chevalley Hedge’s book, “Eat Drink and Still Shrink”, was the most helpful in planning my eating and drinking regime. It is plainly written and recommended three meals a day, with the occasional treat like a glass of wine. This advice holds where the food centres on being unprocessed and contains quality fats (avocado, nuts), protein and complex carbohydrates. Reducing sugar intake is key. While sometimes a bit too “jolly hockey sticks” for me, it’s worth a read.

On wine Chevalley Hedge says she enjoys two drinks a night as a maximum with at least two alcohol-free nights a week. She says that if you do occasionally binge, just ask yourself why, with the implication that the issue is way beyond looking for the healthiest food and wine options. 

Every now and then we go just a little bit further than the two recommended glasses of wine a day. But, of course, that’s just about living life and sometimes reaching for as much pleasure as we can grab. 

“Throw moderation to the winds, and the greatest pleasures bring the greatest pains,”  –Democritus