Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Secret 32: Have a Glass of Red Wine with Dinner

Have you heard of ‘the French paradox’? Although the French enjoy large quantities of saturated fat (think Brie, Camembert and cousins), they have a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease than Americans. Some researchers believe that the reason may be found in a glass of wine.
Wine has long been an important part of food culture (it's called 'wining and dining', isn't it?). The earliest production of wine took place about 8.000 years ago in a region now known as Georgia (not in the U.S.). Wine was already popular in ancient Greece and ancient Rome. The word ‘wine’ derives from the eponymous Latin ‘vinum’, which also means grape (vine).
In the case of wine, just like other foods I have written about, moderation, is important. As is quality. A reasonable dose of top quality wine may confer health benefits (we are well aware of the effects of an unreasonable quantity of alcohol). This is due to the presence of various chemical compounds in wine:
Polyphenols, more prevalent in red than white wine, are thought to protect against heart disease. Another health-supporting chemical in red wine is resveratrol. Resveratrol is manufactured by grape skins to ward off fungi. It is also found in the skin of other fruit such as mulberry. Muscatine grapes have resveratrol in the skin and the seeds.
The difference between red and white wine is that during the manufacture of white wine, there is minimal contact with the resveratrol-rich grape skins during fermentation. Rose has more resveratrol than white wine and less than red wine as it is made by blending the two.  
Muscatine grapes

What do we know about resveratrol? Experiments in rats and rabbits, but not yet in humans, show that resveratrol is anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral (inhibits the herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, the varicella-zoster virus, and some influenza viruses), lowers blood sugar and, in general, is good for the cardiovascular system. If the benefits of resveratrol are also available to humans, what is the best way to access this? Resveratrol concentration varies with the origin of the grape, its exposure to fungal infections, and the length of time the wine was in contact with grape skins during fermentation.  
Actually, red wine only has around one milligram per glass, or between 0.2 to 5.8 mg/liter, and most of this never reaches your blood. If you want to maximize your absorption of resveratrol from wine, allow the wine to stay in your mouth as the chemical is most easily absorbed across the mucous membranes in the mouth. The rest of your digestive system simply inactivates this chemical.

Prost!
Or eat sprouted peanuts. Peanuts have 2.3 to 4.5 μg/g, and after sprouting 11.7 to 25.7 μg/g (and you avoid DUIs -- driving under influence of alcohol citations from traffic police). Chocoholics obtain resveratrol from cocoa powder, baking chocolate and dark chocolate. The concentration ranges from 0.35 to 1.85 mg/kg. Or just enjoy a glass of red grape juice (1.1 mg/l to 8.7 mg/l) or a handful of red grapes (1 cup or 160 g have 0.2 mg to 1.3 mg). Cranberry juice and grape juice have similar concentrations.
Other health-boosting chemicals in wine are antioxidants and flavonoids. One of the flavonoids in wine, procyanidin, has been shown to prevent blood vessel constriction. For a red wine with a procyanidin concentration double to four times that of other red wines, choose wines from Sardinia or the South of France. Procyanidins, just like resveratrol, are found in grape seeds. If you would like these chemicals sans alcohol, pour grape seed oil onto your salad.
Grape seed oil: another way to access beneficial chemicals in grape seeds
Another chemical, which Sally Beare applauds in red wine, is quercetin. This flavonoid is found in fruit, vegetables, leaves and grains. Studies however are, to date, inconclusive. Quercetin is neither especially beneficial nor harmful.
One less desirable ingredient in red wine are sulfites. These are a natural by-products of fermentation that extend the shelf life of wine. A compound closely related to sulfites, sulfur dioxide, is also added to enhance preservation. In some of us these compounds may result in minor irritations such as sneezing, hives and swelling of the throat (fortunately not anaphylaxis). Sulfites are considered one of the top nine allergens. Low sulfite-free wine is commercially available.
While some epidemiological studies claim that a moderate consumption of wine reduces the rate of death due to cardiovascular problems, other studies, such as the Million Women study, which followed the women in the U.K, concluded that a moderate intake of wine might actually increase breast, pharynx and liver cancer. The main investigator of the Million Women study, Prof. Valerie Beral, states that: “"It's an absolute myth that red wine is good for you." Are we comparing apples and oranges? The average supermarket wine consumed by the women in the Million Women study was not organic, not free of sulfites, low in procyanadin and tannins, and high in alcohol. If your average shopping basket contains battery-produced eggs, feedstock meat replete with hormones, GMO corn and soy ingredients, why should the wine be of higher quality
So if you drink alcohol, enjoy a top-quality glass of organic red wine once in a while. Moderation and quality. And if you do not drink alcohol, eat organic red grapes or add a few drops of organic grape seed oil to your dishes.

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