Is Wine Really An Antioxidant?

Are you drinking Wine in the name of health?

Almost every time I have a new client consultation, I am asked if wine is allowed due to its heart health benefits.

Red wine has long been regarded as 'good for health' and a ‘heart-healthy drink’ when consumed in moderation.

As a result, wine, particularly red wine, has been marginally researched for its potential health advantages. And this is primarily because red wine has also long been associated with religious, cultural and social activities.

Red wine contains polyphenolic antioxidants, and flavonols like quercetin. Quercetin is a very powerful plant pigment that helps prevent cancer, control blood sugar and even help keep the heart healthy.

However, the question is, is there accurate scientific data on the bioavailability of flavonols from wine?

There isn't.

The outdated notion that moderate drinking of wine can protect against cardiovascular diseases, often known as the French Paradox, stems from a 1970s study that indicated that the French were less likely to develop heart disease than other populations despite consuming more saturated fat.

However, with structured scientific data now, we know the French paradox appears to be a con. Alcohol is a neurotoxic that may harm the brain. Alcohol does have the potential to cause cancer as well. As a result, it is possible that drinking alcohol isn't a healthy lifestyle choice after all.

But does it have some Quercetin? Sure does. But would you drink your urine just because it have some Vitamin C or rather eat an Orange?

What does science say?

Indeed, studies have discovered substantial correlations between drinking wine and cancer.

For example, for nonsmokers, one bottle of wine per week is linked to a 1% increase in absolute lifetime cancer risk for males and 1.4% for women.

Resveratrol, a polyphenol found in red wine, has received attention for its potential health benefits. The skin of the grapes used to manufacture wine contains resveratrol, which is found in red wine. So naturally, red wine has more resveratrol than white wine since wine is fermented with the skin.

Resveratrol research, on the other hand, has shown mixed results. Instead, studies have shown little evidence that Resveratrol helps prevent heart disease. Furthermore, Resveratrol was discovered to have no established human action after more than 20 years of well-funded study.

Simply eating grapes may be a better strategy to get some Resveratrol without drinking alcohol.

That being said, sure, have a glass of wine once in a while if you wish to. Just don’t drink wine in the name of health.

Trust this helps,

Roshni Sanghvi.