5 Amazing Benefits from Drinking Wine

1. A Longer Life

Those who drink wine have a 34 percent lower mortality rate than beer or spirits drinkers, according to a Finnish study of 2,468 men over a 29-year period, published in the Journals of Gerontology.

2. Reduces Risk of Heart Disease

Red-wine tannins contain procyanidins, which protect against heart disease. Wines from Sardinia and southwest France have more procyanidins than other wines revealed a study at Queen Mary University in London.

3. Lowers Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

It has been found that moderate drinkers have 30 percent less risk than nondrinkers of developing type 2 diabetes. These were the findings from Amsterdam's VU University Medical Center based on 369,862 individuals studied over an average of 12 years each.

4. Can Lower the Risk of Stroke

For those who consume moderate amounts of alcohol, the possibility of suffering a blood clot–related stroke drops by about 50 percent. This encouraging fact was uncovered by a Columbia University study of 3,176 individuals over an eight-year period.

5. Slows Decline of Brain Function

Maybe the most impressive stat of all, brain function declines at a markedly faster rate in nondrinkers than in moderate drinkers according to a Columbia University study of 1,416 people.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a wine enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.

Travel Destination of the Day: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam, Netherlands

DESCRIPTION:

from Wikipedia: Amsterdam is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands. Its status as the Dutch capital is mandated by the Constitution of the Netherlands, although Amsterdam is not the seat of the Dutch government which is The Hague. Amsterdam has a population of 802,938 within city limits, 1,560,414 in the urban region and 2,332,839 in the greater metropolitan area. The city is located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. It comprises much of the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million.

Amsterdam's name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city's origin: a dam in the river Amstel. Originating as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade. During that time, the city was the leading center for finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded, and many new neighborhoods and suburbs were planned and built. The 17th-century canals of Amsterdam and the 19–20th century Defence Line of Amsterdam are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

As the commercial capital of the Netherlands and one of the top financial centres in Europe, Amsterdam is considered an alpha world city by the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) study group. The city is also the cultural capital of the Netherlands. Many large Dutch institutions have their headquarters there, and 7 of the world's top 500 companies, including Philips and ING, are based in the city. In 2012, Amsterdam was ranked 2nd best city to live by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)  and 12th globally on quality of living by Mercer. The city was previously ranked 3rd in innovation by 2thinknow in the Innovation Cities Index 2009.

The Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the oldest stock exchange in the world, is located in the city center. Amsterdam's main attractions, including its historic canals, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam, Anne Frank House, Amsterdam Museum, its red-light district, and its many cannabis coffee shops draw more than 3.66 million international visitors annually.

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Jeffrey Dale Starr is a world traveler, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.