Calorie Intake

• Red wine drinkers should remember alcohol contains calories; a 5 oz. serving of red wine, for example, can contain 120 calories, according to the Health Castle website, though the calorie total of specific red wines can differ according to their variety. You might find your weight increasing if you drink a lot of red wine as part of your daily diet.

HDL Cholesterol Levels

• One of the main health benefits uncovered by medical researchers is a slight increase in HDL cholesterol found in the bodies of regular red wine drinkers. This is often called the good cholesterol, because it removes unneeded cholesterol from artery walls; scientists have deduced that high HDL cholesterol in the bloodstream lessens the risk of heart disease, reports the Health Castle website. However, as noted by the American Heart Association, drinking red wine is no real substitute for weight control, regular exercise and other measures leading to a healthy heart.

On Blood Clotting

• Researchers also believe red wine reduces your risk of developing heart problems by lessening the the chance of blood clots. Scientists have identified that the grapes used to produce red wine contain cardio-protective antioxidants known as flavonoids, as noted by the Yale-New Haven Hospital website. These tackle blood clot formation, thus decreasing the chance of a heart attack.

On Other Illnesses

• Another antioxidant found in red wine, resveratrol, has been studied by scientists, with some researchers concluding that it can have positive effects on other aspects of human health. Resveratrol can reduce the risk of neurological illnesses as well as some cancers, according to the Yale-New Haven Hospital website.

Negative Health Effects

• As alcohol, red wine can have a range of negative effects on the human body when consumed in excessive quantities. Too much alcohol of any kind can lead to a higher blood pressure in some individuals, as well as an increased risk of developing certain kinds of cancer, such as those affecting the liver and throat.