red red wine
Published by Bronwyn Schweigerdt on July 8, 2009 at 5:05 PMRed red wine. Known for it's beneficial antioxidants (most famous is "resveratrol") that fight cancer and heart disease. Plus, people like it. Even though I'm not a big wine gal myself, I thought I'd write some sweet new findings about it for you winos.
Organic red wine has been shown to have significantly higher levels of resveratrol and other antioxidants vs. conventionally-produced wine. One study in Italy compared 15 red wines, finding those produced organically (without pesticides and chemical fertilizers) were at the top for antioxidant content and bioavailability.
So if you're going to be a wino, don't be a cheap one. Pay the extra dollar and know you are actually investing in your health. But don't overdo it. One glass a day can be beneficial, but more is not. Remember, alcohol is a toxin that produces free radicals, so the key word is moderation. Also, alcohol is a diuretic that causes loss of key electrolyte minerals such as calcium, potassium and magnesium. This not only makes us dehydrated but at risk of bone loss and high blood pressure.
Speaking of organic, let's go more organic. A recent review of 97 peer-reviewed studies found organic produce to be significantly higher in antioxidants, including polyphenols, known for fighting chronic disease and cancer (The Organic Center: www.organic-center.org).
So whether you're a wino or not, going the extra mile for organic produce is priceless. If you don't take care of your body, where are you going to live?
Labels: wine
6 comments:
Do you have a link to this study? I would be interested, thank you.
Damien
Do raisins have the same effect? I had been buying organic raisins thinking I would get that benefit, but realized they were Thompson (green) raisins -- so, no red grape skins. The raisins were dried dark brown, so I didn't think about what color grapes they had been made from. Now I've bought a variety of raisins from "Flame" grapes -- I just happened to notice them in the bulk section of a grocery store -- and wonder if these raisins are from red grapes and if so, would they provide the benefit that red wine does? I also wonder how many raisins I would need to eat to receive worthwhile benefit -- and the bad side eating raisins is all the sugar in raisins. As an estrogen-positive breast cancer survivor I'm avoiding alcohol, so I'm wondering and hoping about raisins.
Damien, the study came from the same website as listed in the other organic study: the Organic Center, www.organic-center.org.
Happy, even green grapes have antioxidants that fight heart disease and cancer, they just have different ones, not resveratrol. So any kind of raisin is going to have myriad cancer-fighting compounds. Grapes too.
Bronwyn~ Is the benefit changed if the wine is cooked? I don't usually drink wine, but do cook with it sometimes.
Karma, I imagine that if the antioxidants have made it through the crushing, fermenting and bottling process (from grape to wine), most should be retained during cooking. Great question!
The local store has three kinds of wine from an Italian vineyard called "Fabula". They're organic and they're delicious. When I'm feeling flush, I spring for the top of their line. There's a vineyard in California called "Sobon Estates" that's cheaper, just as organic, and almost as good. You have to like Zinfandels, though, which my wife does not.