Customer Reviews

The French Paradox & Drinking for Health

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Having heard a lecture by Mr. Ford and analyzed research from numerous Enology experts such as Dr. Heinick-Kling, I picked up this book with an open mind and certainly was glad I did. Scientifically, Mr. Ford makes no mistake, as there are many antioxidants in wine (primarily anthocyanins extracted from tannin-rich reds); however, one cannot overlook that wine contains alcohol, a chemical which has been well-documented as toxic. The French Paradox provides for very interesting reading, as it sheds an entirely new perspective on a long-examined indulgence. Mr. Ford's words must be taken with a grain of salt; He is not providing a solution, rather just a fresh bout of information to supplant the nutrition experts. If viewed intolerantly, The French Paradox can only serve to feed the "educated fool", as many "experts" have so often done in glorifying numerous unverified methods of grandeur.

This is the book the wine industry wants you to read. It is completely out of date. It makes the well known case that wine is good for your because it reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease. What it does not say, because we did not know it back then, is that wine (like any alcohol)consumption is a risk factor for breast and prostate cancers. It is also really bad for cognitive skills for obvious reasons.

There are far better ways to get the cardiovascular risk reduction benefit of wines. These include eating red grapes, and doing cardiovascular exercises.