It's a fact that has been delighting red wine drinkers for years: their favourite tipple not only tastes good and is a delight to drink, but offers extensive health benefits, too.

One of the biggest benefits of red wine is the amount of antioxidants it contains. The most studied antioxidant of the wine is called resveratrol, found in the seeds and skins of red grapes. The wine produced contains a large amount of resveratrol because the skins of the grapes and the seeds ferment in the juices during the wine-making process, producing significant levels of the antioxidant.

White wine also contains this antioxidant but because the seeds and skins are taken away relatively early during the process, there is a lesser concentration of it.

Antioxidants in general are important for the human body because they help to prevent damage to the cells and the DNA. Resveratrol in particular is known to help in the prevention of heart disease, as well as being helpful in the reduction of inflammation of the lung tissue in people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The antioxidant is known to be a phytoestrogen, which means it has similar properties to the hormone oestrogen. Because of the similarity, phytoestrogens can bind to the oestrogen receptors and act like oestrogen produced naturally within the body.

This means that red wine drinking could be of benefit to conditions that are affected by oestrogen decreasing naturally, including the menopause, cancer of the breast, osteoporosis and heart disease.

Some studies have even shown that resveratrol can inhibit the process in the body that leads to growth and spread of cancerous tumours by neutralising the oxidation of free radicals in the body which can penetrate cell membranes and destroy vital proteins and DNA. Studies in labs have also shown that resveratrol can cause cancer cells to actually self-destruct and be consumed by healthy cells, as well as help to cut of the supply of nutrients to a tumour.

There are other known antioxidants present in red wine, and various studies are underway to determine health benefits. One, a flavanoid called catechin, may play a big role in heart disease risk reduction. Saponins, also found in the wine, also offer protection for the heart and guercetin, another antioxidant, is being investigated for its value in lung cancer protection.

Of course, as always, the advice is to drink in moderation. One or two small glasses or red wine a day is enough to deliver these antioxidants to the body; anymore more can be detrimental to health over a long period of time.