Some tips on wine from Dr. Farhin Rahman, ND, practitioner at Merchantville Medical Wellness Center. You’ve probably also heard that the best kind of alcohol is red wine because of its heart-healthy and antioxidant benefits. While drinking 5 oz of red wine daily has anti-aging benefits, you might still want to be careful about the quality of wine you’re consuming. Believe it or not, a huge portion of vineyards use a chemical called glyphosate (Monsanto’s weed killer, Roundup), which is a poisonous and carcinogenic substance linked to diseases like Lymphoma, Alzheimer’s, Autism and Brain Cancer. There have also been high levels of sulfites and heavy metals - like arsenic - found in wine. So here are some helpful guidelines: Avoid wine from California. That’s right! Even organic wines from California- Napa, Sonoma, etc. are contaminated and tested positive for glyphosate. The highest level came back from Cabernet Sauvignon. If possible, avoid all US and French conventional wines, as their wine tested the highest in pesticides. Look for USDA Certified Organic Wine whenever possible. The best wines to drink: Pinot Noir is considered the healthiest red wine you can drink. Pinot grapes have a thin skin, so Pinot Noir has low tannins but high levels of resveratrol. Sagrantino is an antioxidant-rich wine and might contain the most antioxidants of any red wine out there. Merlot has high levels of resveratrol and procyanidin which help to lower cholesterol and promote cardiovascular health. Cabernet Sauvignon helps to stimulate the immune system and cell health and Malbec high levels of antioxidants and has been linked to both heart health and immune health. To find out if you have heavy metals or chemical sensitivities, schedule an appointment with Dr. Far to discuss more!