Web Design Is Not For The Squeamish: 9 Things You Should Know Before Designing A Website

The internet has become an integral part of our lives. Everyday
more and more websites are going online. With the advent of
online sitebuilders included with many hosting packages, anyone
can easily create a web presence and feel comfortable knowing
that the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor is pretty
simple to learn. You don’t need to know how to write HTML
because the sitebuilding software generally has a word
processing type of interface and all you need to do is pop
things in here and there. But soon you’ll realize that there are
many limitations to what you can and can’t do. If you’re
satisfied with these limitations, then nothing anyone says will
matter.

Ignorance may be bliss, but knowledge is freedom. Freedom to
create a website exactly the way you want it to look and perform
the way you want it to perform. Of course, there’s more to web
design than writing HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) code and
putting pretty pictures on a webpage. It takes time, skill and
patience to master the concepts needed in order to create an
effective website.

I’ve listed at least nine items that I feel you must know a
little bit about before seriously embarking on designing a
website. They aren’t listed in any particular order of
importance as each web designer has his/her own opinion as to
the importance of each one.

1. HTML. One must learn the HTML language, which is not
difficult, but nevertheless a necessity, since this is the only
way that the browsers (i.e. Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox,
Netscape, Opera, etc.) will be able decipher the code in order
to view a webpage. There are numerous places to learn HTML for
free on the internet. The one place I would recommend would be
to go to the W3C website. Here is where all the standards are
written. You can find them located here
http://www.w3schools.com/.

2. CSS. It would be a big advantage for you to learn CSS
(Cascading Style Sheets). CSS gives you total control over the
style and layout of your webpages. By learning CSS, you would
only need to edit one file in order to make some changes in all
of your pages. You wouldn’t have to go into each webpage
separately to change fonts, or background colors and images.
It’s really kind of neat when you think about how much you can
do with the inclusion of just one or two lines. I like to call
it my ‘magic file’ because that’s what it does…it performs
magic instantly!

3. TITLES,META TAGS and KEYWORDS. There has been volumes
written about these items. But for my purpose here, I will just
mention what each are and where they’re located. Suffice it to
say that knowing a bit about each one will only enhance your
learning experience in designing an effective webpage. Every
webpage or HTML document must have a title. The title should be
representative of what your website is about. It is located
between the and area at the top of your document.
HTML tags which describe the content of a webpage and utilized
by search engines are called META Tags. They provide useful
information to the search engines such as Author, Copyright,
Description, Expirations, Language, Keywords and Robots. There
are others but those are the basic ones used. One of the more
important META Tag used is the Keyword META Tag. This is where
you put your specific keywords and key phrases. The keywords you
choose which best describes your webpage is what the search
engines look for. They also notice how often these keywords and
key phrases are used within the webpage. One must be careful how
the keywords are used because too many and it’s considered
spamming the search engines, too few and they aren’t even
noticed.

4. DOCTYPE. DOCTYPE is short for “Document Type
Definition”, or, DTD, and it informs the web browsers which
version of (X)HTML you are using in order to process it. The
DOCTYPE must appear at the very top of every webpage that you
design. You can check W3C’s webpage here at
http://www.w3.org/QA/2002/04/valid-dtd-list.html for a list of
recommended DOCTYPE’s.

5. COPYRIGHT INFO. You can find out all about the
copyright laws here at http://www.copyright.gov/, but what it
basically boils down to is - if you didn’t write it, you will
need approval of the person who did in order to use it within
your website, or there could be real problems for you with
copyright infringements. It’s against the law to take what
someone else wrote and pass it off as your own. This goes for
everything from photo’s, clip art, designs, website templates to
articles and website content on other websites.

6. CONTENT. I’m sure you’ve heard the statement that
“Content Is King”. What this means is that whatever you write
within your website (the content), not only does it have to be
original but it should possess a number of your keywords and key
phrases. These keywords and key phrases should fit in within the
content and make sense with whatever it is you’re writing about.
This content will not only explain to any visitor what you’re
website is all about, it will be used by the search engine’s
that rate how important your content is in relation to the
keywords listed.

7. LINKS. Links within your website are important,
whether you’re linking to other websites or other websites are
linking to you. However, with Google’s new update “Jagger”,
Google is placing more importance on credibility and
added-value, rather than the amount of links you have. Google
continues to change their algorithms by which websites are rated
and it’s becoming almost comical that many a website owner must
scramble to figure out the best way to make changes in order to
either keep their high rankings or even get noticed. It will be
interesting to watch what happens here.

8. VALIDATION. There is much to be said about being
validated. There are some web designers that feel it’s not
important, but know that I feel that it’s extremely important.
What exactly does ‘being validated’ mean? Simply put, it means
that the coding of your website has passed the test in utilizing
the W3C conformance standards by which web documents have been
written. It places no value on the content, just the HTML or
XHTML structure. There is also a validation service for passing
the CSS (Cascading Style Sheet) conformance standards. Both of
these services are provided for free by the W3C (World Wide Web
Consortium).

9. SEO. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the key
factor by which your website will be rated by Google, MSN, Yahoo
or any of the other search engines. Quite simply it’s optimizing
your website for the search engines to notice you. Again, the
importance is placed on content. There are many SEO companies
that promise high rankings, or worse, they promise you number
one ranking if you hire them to optimize your website. Be wary
of anyone that makes those statements. Know that there is no
possible way for them to make such promises because there is no
way to know how a website will rank. You an submit your own URL
to some of the major search engines yourself at no cost. Now
whether or not you get noticed is another story entirely, but
know that eventually your website will be indexed by the various
robot programs that most search engines use anyhow.

In summary, there is much to consider when designing a website.
It’s not an easy task and the importance of the items I’ve
listed should not be ignored. It also takes a bit of ingenuity
and creativeness in addition to the semantics, but with
practice, patience and knowledge, it can be done.

Characteristics of Black Preaching

Point 1: Dialog not Monologue

The African American sermon is a part of an event, a preaching event which is created by the interaction between the Spirit, preacher, and the congregation. The congregation is actively involved in the preaching of the Word of God.

There are two components to this insight. First, the congregation does not sit as bystanders to the preaching event. Second, the preacher works towards creating an atmosphere where all can experience the Word. The people interact with the Word and the preacher works to facilitate that interaction. While one must be careful not to over generalize because there are differences between congregations of African Americans, one must also recognize that at the very least the presence of a hearty “amen” from the congregation testifies to the fact that congregations play an important role in the preaching event even in the most unresponsive congregations.

The sermon is not a monologue of preacher to people, also the African American preacher is not trying to present facts to believe as in a lecture, but the preacher seeks to create an event that causes the truth of the word to become incarnate in the hearers. This incarnation of truth in the hearer allows the hearer to be able to live the life that the preaching event points to.

The congregation’s responses of joy as well as at times lack of response can help a preacher who is attuned to the congregation notice what that congregation understands, what is not being understood, and what is really “hitting home.” At times, the Spirit of God may impress the preacher to follow a different line of discussion than originally intended. Thus, the African American preaching event is an interaction between Spirit, congregation, and preacher.

Point 2: Core Belief Strengthened

As the preacher, congregation, and the Spirit interact to create the preaching event the core beliefs of the African American Christian community are reaffirmed. The preacher presents a word that at times calls for radical confrontation with the powers of this world that are against God’s way. The preacher also presents a word that strengthens the resolve of an oppressed people reminding them that God is on their side and they can make it through. Thus the African American preacher is not speaking of “pie in the sky when you die” but empowerment in this world to take whatever the world gives and yet still work for God’s ideal on this earth keeping in mind that there is a judgement to which all must stand.

Point 3: Bible Story = Our Story

A common mode, but not the only mode, of African American preaching is the narrative form. The African American preacher uses stories, primarily from the Bible, to carry the truth of the sermon. The African American preacher seeks to have the people become so identified with the story in the Bible that the story becomes their story. For example, when an African American preacher preaches on the exodus, the preacher is not only telling a story of what happened to the ancient Hebrews. The preacher attempts to have the community drawn into the story where the community is the Hebrew Children of the Bible. It is not just an attempt to understand the story, but an attempt to live the story. The African American congregation will experience the story not as God delivering the Hebrew children, but God delivering them from bondage. God delivers us today this is not just something that happens in the past to other people. God speaks today, God’s speaking is not limited to the past. Our history becomes bound up with the Biblical story and thus God saying he delivers the Hebrews becomes a promise that God will deliver us one day. It is only a matter of time for as the spiritual says, “Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel than why not every man?”

Conclusion

The African American approach of 3 fold creation of the preaching event from an interaction between the preacher, people, and Spirit provides a strong basis for pulling the people into the story of the Bible. It is therefore not true, as some imply, that only an understanding of the text that is true to the historical understanding of a text is true to the text. The African American approach makes the word of God contemporary. God speaks to the congregation today. While an African American preacher will make use of all methods of interpretation, the basis of understanding of truth will come from the interaction with the spirit and the word and the core beliefs of the preacher. The preacher will not ultimately ask “what Did God say?” Instead, the preacher will ask “What is God saying to God’s people today?” Not what did God do for the Hebrews, but what does what God did for the Hebrews mean for us today? This principle forces African American preachers to take into account the congregation when preaching. Who is preached to changes what and how something is preached. Thus African American preaching is something that can not be considered totally as God centered apart from man, neither man centered apart from God, but centered in the creative encounter between humanity and God.

Sherman Haywood Cox is the editor of HomileticsPortal.com. This is the portal to the web for preachers. He also has a blog at shermancox.com Sherman Cox holds the Master of Science degree and is currently working on a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School.

Photo Copyright Concerns

Copyright in most works of art, which includes writing, photography and digital images occur as the work is created. To put it as simply as possible, the second you click the shutter button, the resulting image belongs to you.

No formal registration is needed in more that 140 countries in the world, to receive basic legal protection. But regardless, if you do feel that you don’t understand certain legal points, you would be well advised to speak to your legal advisors.

Although the law protects your copyright from the moment the shutter is released and there is no other formalities to be observed, I would strongly advise that you mark every single photograph with the word “copyright” followed by your name, or use the international copyright symbol followed by your name: © - TJ Tierney.

Don’t write on the original image; if you’re using slide film write on the white plastic border. If you are submitting original prints to a magazine photo editor, state that the images are subject to copyright on a cover letter.

When you do sell an image understand the reproduction rights. If you agree to “single reproduction rights” you are granting the magazine or publisher rights to use the image once. If they decide to use the same print in a few months time, you’re entitled to further reproduction fees.

It would be wise to state in a cover letter when submitting images that reproduction fees are negotiated before use.

Don’t ever sell your images as “royalty free”. You may receive an “ok payment”, but the publisher that has paid for the royalties can sell your images to whoever he wants; and you won’t receive a single cent.

If in three months time you see an image that belongs to you on the cover page of some magazine; and know full well that they are in breach of your copyright, don’t be afraid to send them an invoice, adding on a little extra for their cheekiness. Let them know that you know the law and that if the payment isn’t received by a certain date that further action will be taken; you’ll have a cheque in the door within a few days.

TJ Tierney. Award winning Irish Landscape Photographer. If you are looking for more tips visit Photo tips. To view some of his images visit his on-line gallery: Pictures of Ireland.

Can Get Well Gifts By Mail Help Spur A Speedy Recovery?

There are inevitable situations that we all must face regarding a friend or relative suffering from an illness or recovering from an unfortunate accident that has caused bodily harm. We are then presented with two choices on how to act. We can elect to stand-by idly and let life decide the outcome. The other option is to take the stand of offering our sincere support on behalf of our stricken partner and ally in this thing called life.

A decision for the latter would prove our level of selflessness in a selfish world. It would show that we have a bounty of kindness that we are willing to share with our less fortunate brothers and sisters. Our attention to the healing aspect of life can be expressed through the powerful spiritual tools of prayer and companionship. The predicament can also be attended to by the strategy of giving a solid, three-dimensional gift representing our concern for their well-being. How can the second option be accomplished especially if our afflicted comrade lives afar or is confined within a distant hospital?

Sending Get Well gifts by mail is a plan of action that can add your loving presence to the challenge of raising the spirits of someone in compromised health that you know of. The seeds of recovery can be planted by your thoughtful attention to another person in need of blessing and emotional reinforcement. Your impact can be felt this way no matter what distance you are from the target of your sympathetic heart.

The gift to be sent can have a simple “Get Well” theme or label to it. This sends a direct hit regarding your hopes pertaining to their quick biological recuperation. It would get to the point of your intention of wishing someone a swift rebound from the travail of recovery. This message would be your unmistakable testimony of your desire that your fallen partner in life makes a speedy comeback. The question remains, however, if other Get Well gifts by mail themes may bring about a more powerful healing effect.

What do I mean by this? Well, let’s say that the target of your intentions has a unique fondness for gardening or any other hobby. Likewise, what if he or she is a connoisseur of sorts who would melt in absolute thankfulness if presented a selection of gourmet Italian food or the finest variety of chocolate? Would soothing bath spa gifts be better suited to an expression of good cheer than those that might only go so far saying such? A sports related gift could also be another biggie to rouse someone’s downcast spirits. My point is that a “Get Well” message may be accomplished from different angles and other options are worthy of consideration.

So can Get Well gifts by mail help spur a speedy recovery? I have no doubt that they can certainly help because I believe that healing is advanced when an ailing person is convinced that others are supporting their quest to move forward in health and happiness. Your actions in response to someone’s unfortunate circumstances may just be the pivotal factor in that person’s transformation back to the fuller life that they once knew.

Allow yourself to get creative in the process. Look deep within the essential self of the stricken one and reach a conclusion as to what the best strategy would be for you to help boost their recovery effort. You can then take the steps of offering both spiritual support as well as the custom gift that you have carefully chosen. You would then have made your mark in the life of someone in need.

Brian is the owner of A Gift Basket Paradise and offers his suggestions on a strategy to assist in the recovery of those in our lives who have suffered sickness or injury. He invites you to visit http://www.agiftbasketparadise.com/getwell.html for ideas that may be of assistance.

Hair Replacement Surgery

Hair Replacement Information

Hair Replacement Surgery is the medical terminology that covers the variety of procedures utilized to counter balding. The goal is to minimize the loss of hair and restore the appearance of hair. Several techniques utilized include scalp reduction, tissue expansion, strip grafts, scalp flaps, or clusters of hair plugs. This procedure is most effective on men who have experienced a slowdown or halt in hair loss resulting from existing male pattern baldness.

Length and details of the Hair Replacement procedure

The length of operation typically runs 1 to 3 hours with several techniques requiring multiple procedures over the span of 1 to 2 years. Patients are given a general or local anesthesia, with sedation.

Most Hair Replacement Surgery procedures are routinely outpatient.

Risks and/or complications related to Hair Replacement Surgery

In Hair Replacement Surgery the patient may experience potential side effects consisting of a temporary achy and tight scalp, to an unnatural look in initial stages.

In addition there are other associated risks with this procedure that include the risk of infection, excessive scarring, and the failure of the procedures effectiveness that could result in the loss of scalp tissue and/or transplanted hair.

Patients may return to work in approximately 2 to 5 days. Those involved in sports or other physical activities will be able to resume these activities in approximately 10 days to 3 weeks. The final results of the procedure may take up to 18 months or more to achieve the desired results.

Long-term results of Hair Replacement Surgery

In this procedure the results typically are permanent.

How much does Hair Replacement Surgery cost?

The national average cost for the procedure is $3,000

Will my insurance cover a Hair Replacement Surgery?

Hair replacement surgery is a cosmetic procedure that usually is not covered under most insurance plans. However some costs may be covered if there is a medical necessity behind the procedure, such as serious burns or similar traumatic event. In this circumstance, hair replacement surgery could be considered a reconstructive treatment and may be covered by health insurance. As always consult with your physician and health insurance plan.

Read more about Hair Replacement Surgery facts and costs. Alan Hood is a contributing writer at http://www.houstonmedcenter.com

The Worlds Top Sexual Toy Survey for Men to Experience

So sexual toy are on the lips of every guy these days, either nattering on about them in the toilet, at the corner shop or on the television. But which sexual toy is the super duper, with the superb choice to pick from surely a researcher had to find out the best one.

A new retailer asked over 130 UK girls in March what their favourite sexual toy was along with other personal questions.

If you love sex toys you should try out Penis Pumps

It was that the most favourite sexual toy for UK girls was the vibrator, and they just really liked it! Ladies were so excited by the idea of a huge vibrator that many of them would use it straight after coming home from work. The best models of vibrator were the Jessica bunny vibrators as they help to stimulate the clitoris as well as inserting into the flower.

The second most popular sexual toy was the exciting dong. Dildos are similar to vibrators except they do not have batteries or vibrate. Dildos come in all shapes and sizes from eight inches to twelve inches. They can come with sucker cups to have an excellent experience hands free and can easily attach to a bath or toilet set. Dildos have been a firm top seller since the 1980s and looks like they will be around for a long time.

So it was decided that the vibrator was the winner and the dildo came in second place, with some many sex toys out there it was difficult to know which type of vibrator was the most exciting for women to try. The classic vibrators are battery powered and shaped like a mans penis. Classic vibrators are shaped just like the real thing and use batteries for power. They can be manufactured of plastic, vinyl metal or silicone. They can either be inserted or placed against your vagina to get the sexual sensation. We stock a wide range of classic vibrators.

The greatest way to use classic vibrators is to make sure it is germ free before use, make sure it is not too extra big for your vagina, and also make sure that you do not use it every Thursday night and you do venture out on a date to the restaurant.

Business Listings from 118118

118 118 Directory Enquiries is currently the primary directory enquiries service in england and 1 of the greatest as well.

Should you yourself examine at how much the directory enquiry business has achieved since it was first launched you yourself will find that all that is a lot. More than fifty % of the Great British public want to use the business service well over any other competitor. All that depicts that 118118 can be trustworthy and that the business supply a product which works considerably well & the the British target market use around a day to day basis. Although you associate the directory company with only suppliers of business and British public telephone numbers, you should see that the business now present farther more than this. Yourself can often rely on 118 118 to supply you yourself with train times in both arrivals & departures, this is for the huge bulk of train journeys up & down the country, 118 118 should of course be able to tell you yourself cinema times and films for any UK movie theatre you require, you yourself will have the option to discuss the film times with the directory enquiry business or 118118 should patch one would right to the cinema one would want to speak to. A lot of customers only connect the 118 services with the phone however 118.com has now went out far further than this. Telephone numbers, cinema listings, train times, 118 118’s UK Directory Enquiries provide you with the information you need.

The directory firm additionally offers a text messaging service, all that supplies the directory enquiry business United Kingdom customers to achieve access to the latest tennis scores from across all the big sport leagues, bar quiz help where one would can MMS & ask 118 118 a quiz question & 118 118.com will text message you back with the exact answer, lotto results can be txt to your cell phone as well. Although this SMS service offering is not a low priced service if you are desperate and in real need of any information then the the firm MMS service is going to be really favourable to you.

Borrowers facing problems with the Mortgage Industry

Mortgage industry is playing an important role today to meet the people’s needs. The industry is constantly engaged in making changes and bringing new ways to assist people in some of their most important personal and financial decisions. The industry is involved in making changes to suit people’s requirements keeping in mind their financial conditions. Along with conventional fixed rate products mixtures of typical adjustable rate mortgage products, interest-only and payment option type ARMs, high LTV financing and FHA products have been introduced. This expansion and variety in the products is intended to help larger number of people to qualify for the home ownership. There is a fair competition among the lenders to provide customers with the best rates staying within the boundaries of State law. Customer satisfaction is paid maximum importance today. This trend has helped the borrowers belonging to all levels as the positive affect is now reaching people on a wider range. People have got the opportunity to take advantage of a wide range of products available in the current market. This has raised the buying process with a greater mass being able to participate in the program. But with this positive feature there has been a recent trend of increase in the number of fraud cases in the industry which is a growing problem in the industry today.

According to the National Mortgage Complaint Center, the number of fraud cases in the mortgage has increased over the recent years. Mortgage companies have been using false documents and getting them signed by borrowers. Many of them have even charged high interest rates and borrowers have been making such high interest payments due to lack of awareness on recent market trends.

It is found out that an average homeowner in the United States has to pay $1250 more in sub-prime mortgage industry. Sub-rime mortgage are offered to high risk borrowers who may have been rejected by other lenders. In recent years this industry has seen a considerable growth with a lot of consumers getting qualified for this loan. Consumers who face difficulty with the credit market are generally availing this loan. But, this growth has simultaneously given rise to predatory lending affecting the most vulnerable lenders. This kind of abusive lending is generally directed to the lower income and minority borrowers. Generally the elderly homeowners with reduced incomes become the target of these sub-prime home equity lenders as they often have considerable amount of equity in their homes. The most harmful practice begins with a loan based on the home equity rather than on borrower’s ability to repay. These borrowers often fail to repay and the lenders acquire the borrower’s home equity and ultimately the borrower loses his home through foreclosure or by signing a deed to the lender in lieu of the foreclosure. There are some other kind of abusive practices which are illegal under various federal or state laws.

Considering the growing rate of predatory lending in the mortgage industry, the National Mortgage Complaint Center has decided to have an audit service for protecting homeowners from abusive lending practices. But borrowers should also be aware of such unlawful activities and keep themselves away from such lenders.

Borrowers should consider some preventive measures to protect themselves from predatory lenders. They should not go by the rates that lenders often advertise. These rates are in fact, much lower than the actual fees charged by such lenders. The lenders advertise such low rates just to lure consumers so that they can approach them for loans.

Borrowers should demand a written copy of the fees that they keep paying to the lender on a monthly basis. This is because lenders often provide an estimate of fees at closing and later they charge higher fees pretending that they have forgotten to include these charges. But keeping the proofs of such documents will help borrowers in case of any discrepancies in the mortgage process.

If there is a rise in rate in the market during the time period between the application and closing, the lenders charge higher rate to borrowers. On the other hand if the rate falls downwards, the lenders try to ignore it and the borrowers are deprived of the advantage of the lower rate. So, the borrowers should monitor the market during this period.

The borrowers should try to keep a track of all the documents involved during the process and ask for proper clarifications wherever they have a doubt. Going this way will minimize the problems of being cheated by the mortgage companies to some extent. The borrowers should try to consult an Attorney or a professional known to the borrower and get the documents verified by them.

Lance Williams, who wrote this article, is an accomplished contributing writer presently working in association with mortgage. His current work includes bankruptcy and second mortgage.

Angel Costumes! There’s An Angel Inside Us All, But Are You Naughty Or Nice?

When searching for Angel Costumes, there are so many choices
online, so the heavenly question is, “how good, or how bad of an
angel would you like to be?”

Whatever suites your character best, when Halloween rolls
around, you can choose which side you want to bethe good, or
the bad and look great!

The angel costume is extremely popular this year, and if you’re
concerned that there may be too many angels at your next party,
don’t worry, because we can never have enough halos at a good
Halloween party! With the variety of options currently at your
fingertips, you can easily choose to be the beautiful, heavenly
angel, or the sexy, dark, and mysterious fallen angel. This
outfit screams with non-purity as the sleek long gray dress fits
every curve of your body, and the eerie flow of the wings give
the impression that your pure soul will be challenged during the
evening!

Be creative, and fashion your own unique style of angel! Have
fun with it by adding personal costume accessories, or if you’re
the angelic traditionalist, and enjoy to dress as the classic
angel with the halo, velvet dress, belt, and wings, then do as
you please, because in the end you will be a glowing vision in
white!

So you have that devilish side in you, right? then take it a
step further and check out the great new gothic angel costumes
now available. Wear the tattered wings, seductive dark dress,
and the men will be completely spellbound! If you’re wondering
where to find these fascinating costumes, you will unearth most,
if not all of these impressive costumes online at specialty
Halloween costume sites.

There are so many different types of costumes to choose from,
and the best part is, you can do one angel costume this year,
and the other next year! So if you’re a very sweet person, spice
it up this year and go for the bad angel! Or, if you’re more of
the rebel type, dress as the heavenly angel and surprise
everyone by showing off your sensitive side!

Angel costumes are fun, easy to wear, and simple to shop for
online at a majority of the top specialty Halloween Costume
sites. A fair number of the angel costumes come complete with
your angel accessories so you’re good to go for your Halloween
party! Remember, no matter which angel costume you decide to go
with, whether it be good or bad, one thing will be for sure: you
will surely make for a beautiful angel!

Red Wine is Healthy

Is red wine beneficial for health or a potent poison? In the old times Plato said that “nothing more excellent or valuable than wine was ever granted by the Gods to man.” Nowadays research suggests that a glass of red wine each day may be providing you with more than just a little relaxation.
The French seem to know something about the health benefits of red wine considering that studies that compared French and German red wines, revealed that the French red wines delivered a greater health benefit due to their higher level of antioxidants. Experts believe that red wine contains certain compounds that help protect the heart. This has opened the door for other researchers to study the components in red wine that may be responsible for its health benefits.

In the last 10 years, thousands of research on red wine showed that moderate intake of this drink improves cardiovascular health. The cardio protective effect has been attributed to antioxidants present in the skin and seeds of red grapes

Based on the research experts advise that the antioxidants, called flavonoids, reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in three ways: by reducing production of low density lipoprotein (the “bad” cholesterol), by boosting high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the good cholesterol) and by reducing blood clotting.

Furthermore researchers have found that moderate red wine consumption may be beneficial to more than just your heart. One study found that the antioxidant resveratrol, which is prevalent in the skin of red grapes, may inhibit tumour development in some cancers. Another study indicated that resveratrol aided in the formation of nerve cells, which experts believe may be helpful in the treatment of neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The most recent studies on red wine presented at the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) annual meeting, in Orlando, Florida by the Canadians show that Red wine polyphenols may help fight gum disease. V. Houde, M. Boisvert and their colleagues from University Laval in Canada investigated the role of polyphenols, including those from red wine, in scavenging free radicals released by immune cells stimulated with components of bacteria causing periodontal diseases. Free radicals are believed to be at least partly responsible for the development of gum disease and are generated by immune cells during periodontitis. In order to have healthy gums it is important to that free radicals are maintained at low levels. Their results indicated that red wine polyphenols significantly modulate several inflammatory components released by macrophages (a population of host immune cells) in response to bacterial stimuli.
Visit Vintage Roots for organic wines.

Alison White