Wine Helps Raise Good Cholesterol

• One of the major cardiovascular benefits of wine is that it helps raise good, or HDL, cholesterol. Both red and white wine contain polyphenols and other antioxidants, chemical compounds that have been found to help lower blood pressure and reduce dangerous build-up in arteries. Polyphenols can also help to reduce the chance of blood clots if you are a moderate wine drinker.

Wine Helps Lower the Risk of Heart Disease

• Scientists have found that phytochemicals in wine, such as resveratrol, can help to lower the drinker's risk of heart disease by producing antithrombotic agents if wine is consumed in moderation.

Wine Helps Lower the Risk of Diabetes

• Just as wine helps with heart disease, it also helps to lower the risk of diabetes. Those who drink red and white wine in moderation are 30 percent less likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, according to a study performed over 12 years by Amsterdam's VU University on 300,000 individuals. Those who drink wine are also less likely to develop a resistance to insulin.

Wine Helps Eyesight

• According to a study performed in Iceland, those who drink white and red wine have seen improvements in eyesight. Wine drinkers have 32 percent less chance of getting cataracts than nondrinkers and are 43 percent less likely to get cataracts than those who prefer beer.

Wine Helps You Live Longer

• Another health benefit discovered for male wine drinkers is that it promotes longevity. A study performed in Finland of 2,000 men and their drinking habits over 29 years concluded that those who drank wine on a regular basis had a 34 percent lower mortality rate than those who did not drink wine.