The other night, my husband and I splurged on a bottle of Italian Nebbiolo at one of our favorite local-food restaurants in Boulder. Turns out it was a safe choice. According to a new scientific report some imported wines contain high levels of potentially toxic metals such as lead. Natural Standard reports:

"Italy, Brazil, and Argentina produced wines that had safe levels of heavy metals. However, wines from Hungary and Slovakia each had a total THQ [metal contaminant] level above 350, while wine from the remaining 10 countries, including France, Austria, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Greece, Czech Republic, Jordan, Macedonia, and Serbia, each had a total THQ value above 100.

Although drinking red wine in moderation has been linked to positive effects on the heart, the authors caution that the heavy metal contaminants may diminish possible health benefits. The heavy metals may act as pro-oxidants, possibly canceling out the positive antioxidant effects of the wine."

To read more about red wine and heart health, see our article Go with the Flow.

For a heart-healthy recipe using red wine (unleaded, of course!), try Slow-Baked Salmon with Red Wine and Honey or for more ideas type red wine into our recipe search box.