Pinot Noir:
This is because it offers the highest concentration of resveratrol. Resveratrol is an antioxidant that has been linked to a whole host of health benefits including lowered risk of certain types of cancers, stroke, and heart disease.
The bottom line: Drinking any amount of alcohol is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, but the risk may be low for those who consume modest amounts (for example, 1 drink per day) and more pronounced with higher levels of consumption.
Red wine consumed in moderation appears to help reduce high blood pressure in part because of the antioxidants (polyphenols) found naturally in the grape. However, fitness professionals should not encourage individuals to drink wine, especially if the person doesn't currently drink alcohol.
No research has established a cause-and-effect link between drinking alcohol and better heart health.
However, for most people, it doesn't appear to be harmful to the heart — but the key word is “moderate.” Moderate drinking is defined as an average of one drink per day for women and one or two for men. A drink might be less than you think: 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits.
As a general rule, limit your alcohol intake to no more than 1 to 2 drinks per day to help improve your blood pressure. Drinking more than average — more than 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks per day for men — can cause your blood pressure to rise.
Red wine, in moderation, has long been thought of as heart healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent coronary artery disease, the condition that leads to heart attacks. Any links between red wine and fewer heart attacks aren't completely understood.
Pinot noirs contain a healthy dose of several antioxidants, including anthocyanins and procyanidins, making it one of the best red wines to lower cholesterol. Four ounces of pinot noir also delivers roughly 640 micrograms of resveratrol, which is more than most red wines.
Red wine is widely recognized as one of the healthiest alcoholic drinks out there. Poon notes that it's "relatively low in calories and also offers some health benefits."9 She adds that red wine is rich in antioxidants such as resveratrol and proanthocyanidins and can promote cardiovascular health.
Some studies have shown that moderate drinking -- one drink a day for women and two for men -- leads to lower risks of dying from heart disease. One drink generally means a 12-ounce beer, a 6-ounce glass of wine, or a 1½-ounce shot of liquor.
Heart health benefits
Coffee is full of health benefits. According to the American College of Cardiology, drinking two to three cups of coffee per day is associated with maintaining a healthy heart.
Resveratrol has been linked to lower risks of cancer, stroke, and heart disease, among other benefits. “Pinot noir has the highest concentration of the highly touted antioxidant resveratrol,” Benjamin Appleby, top sommelier at Abe & Louie's in Boston, told The Daily Meal.
Research has found strong links between alcohol and cancer, as well. One bottle of wine per week is associated with an increased absolute lifetime cancer risk for non-smokers of 1% for men and 1.4% for women. This equates one bottle of wine to five cigarettes for men and 10 for women.
Alcohol Boosts 'Good' Cholesterol
In particular, red wine might offer the greatest benefit for lowering heart disease risk and death because it contains higher levels of natural plant chemicals -- such as resveratrol -- that have antioxidant properties and might protect artery walls.
Other studies have revealed that polyphenols (such as resveratrol and tannins), which are found in varying amounts in different alcoholic beverages, may help reduce blood clotting and plaque buildup. Red wine contains a large amount of polyphenols compared with most white spirits.
Foods and fruits such as tea, mushrooms, and tea have also been known to kill the bacteria in other studies. However, wine contains antimicrobial properties that potentially kill bacterial strains responsible for sore throat and dental plaque.
Beverages like skim milk, tomato juice, and beet juice may help decrease blood pressure. But it's always important to remember moderation — more of these drinks is not always better.
“It doesn't matter what beverage if you have a high risk, it's all about the amount,” Klatsky says. “There's plenty of research that shows heavy beer drinkers, heavy wine drinkers, it doesn't matter, they are all at risk of increasing high blood pressure when drinking in excess.”
Beer: The most common alcoholic drink, beer is loaded with antioxidants called phenols. This protects you against suffering from heart diseases. Beer also lowers the risk of acquiring high blood pressure and helps maintaining it.
More recent research that controlled for diet and other lifestyle variables concluded that drinking moderate amounts of beer—usually defined as one per day for women and two for men—offers the same heart-health benefits as a like amount of wine.
After one drink of either red wine or alcohol, blood vessels were more “relaxed” or dilated, which reduced the amount of work the heart had to do. But, after two drinks, the heart rate, amount of blood pumped out of the heart, and action of the sympathetic nervous system all increased.