Is red wine better for you?
Interest in the possible health benefits of moderate wine drinking
reached a high in the 1990s. It was then that US journalists noted that
the population of France was longer lived and more free of coronary heart
disease than those of other countries with high-fat diets, such as the UK
and US. Attention focused on red wine, because unlike white, it is made by
fermenting whole grapes, skins and all, and contains a range of chemicals
such as tannins, flavonoids, and pigments called anthocyanins. Scientists
are still investigating the therapeutic actions of many of these.
Secret ingredients
The red wine making process fills
your glass with extracts of grape
skins and seeds. It is not clear
which of these, if any, benefits
human health. One chemical
called resveratrol has a range
of benefits in lab mice, but only
in doses impossible to achieve
by drinking wine. Procyanidins
in high-tannin wines might be
more promising candidates.
Wine
In recent decades, wine has gained publicity for its
potential benefits to health. Some experts claim a
glass of red a day lowers the risk of heart disease
and other cardiovascular problems. So what is it
about wine that is healthy, and is red better?
FERMENTING
TANK
PRESS
CRUSHER
Grapes
crushed
To release juice,
grapes are first
crushed and the
stems removed.
The squashed
grapes, with
skins and seeds,
are poured out.
1
Warm fermentation
Yeast ferments the crushed
grapes, converting its sugar to
alcohol. Winemakers may add a
cultured yeast, or they may rely
on the yeast on the grape skins.
2
Pulp pressed
The crushed, fermented grapes
flow into the wine press, which applies
pressure to release further color
and flavor from the grapes.
3
RED
GRAPES
Wine from the fermenting tank, known as free-run
juice, is mixed with a little fluid from the press
Richly colored press wine pours
from the press and is added to
the free-run juice to improve
appearance and flavor
Procyanidins
A kind of tannin that makes young reds
bitter, procyanidins may act on artery
linings to improve cardiovascular health.
Resveratrol
This phytochemical has been shown in
rodents to lower blood sugar and fight
cancer (in high doses).
Flavonols
Shown to have antioxidant and anti-
cancer actions in animals, although
the dose in red wine is very low.
Anthocyanins
The human body metabolizes these
antioxidants quickly, so if active, they
must be effective in trace amounts.
Fermentation vessel is warm,
encouraging the release of
chemicals from the skins
and seeds
CHEMICALS IN WINE
US_170-171_Wine.indd 170 18/01/2017 09:46
WINE IS AN INGREDIENT IN THE
OLDEST KNOWN RECIPES FOR
MEDICINE, DOCUMENTED IN
2200
bce, ON PAPYRI IN EGYPT
Wine measures vary from place to
place and according to trends, so it
can be difficult to know that you
drinking in moderation. A large glass
can be one-third of a 750ml (25fl oz)
bottle, containing 200 calories,
or more, in the form of sugar and
alcohol. Alcohol content has increased
in recent years, as modern production
involves leaving fruit to ripen longer
on the vine, so it becomes more
sugary, resulting in more alcoholic
wine with more calories.
IT’S ONLY A GLASS
A little of what you like
In white wine, the skins and seeds
are removed before fermentation so
white lacks the phytochemicals of
red wine. However, experts are
learning that the health benefits of
red wine may have been overstated,
and some studies find, paradoxically,
that it is actually the alcohol in
wine that is healthy (see pp.166–67).
If true, white-wine drinkers could
also benefit from a glass a day.
RED OR
WHITE GRAPES
Cold fermentation
The pure grape juice is cold-fermented
by yeast in vats or sealed barrels. The process
gives a fresh, juicy taste, without the bitterness
or astringency of tannins.
Grape pulp pressed
The press separates
the skins and seeds, which
are discarded. Clear, filtered
juice runs out of the press.
Grapes are crushed
The white wine
process begins with crushing
grapes to release the juice.
1
PRESS
150 ml
(5 fl oz)
250 ml
(8.5 fl oz)
125
calories
200
calories
Tannins and
antioxidants are
filtered out with
the seeds and
skins before
fermentation
Pulp contains
juice, skins,
and seeds
FERMENTING
TANK
CRUSHER
Pure fermented
juice (white wine)
WHY NOT
JUST EAT GRAPES?
The supposedly beneficial
ingredients in red wine are also
present in the skins and seeds of
the grapes we eat. However,
many people prefer to
eat seedless grapes, or
avoid chewing the
bitter seeds.
750 ml
(25 fl oz)
600
calories
2
3
US_170-171_Wine.indd 171 18/01/2017 09:46
WINE IS AN INGREDIENT IN THE
OLDEST KNOWN RECIPES FOR
MEDICINE, DOCUMENTED IN
2200
bce, ON PAPYRI IN EGYPT
Wine measures vary from place to
place and according to trends, so it
can be difficult to know that you
drinking in moderation. A large glass
can be one-third of a 750ml (25fl oz)
bottle, containing 200 calories,
or more, in the form of sugar and
alcohol. Alcohol content has increased
in recent years, as modern production
involves leaving fruit to ripen longer
on the vine, so it becomes more
sugary, resulting in more alcoholic
wine with more calories.
IT’S ONLY A GLASS
A little of what you like
In white wine, the skins and seeds
are removed before fermentation so
white lacks the phytochemicals of
red wine. However, experts are
learning that the health benefits of
red wine may have been overstated,
and some studies find, paradoxically,
that it is actually the alcohol in
wine that is healthy (see pp.166–67).
If true, white-wine drinkers could
also benefit from a glass a day.
RED OR
WHITE GRAPES
Cold fermentation
The pure grape juice is cold-fermented
by yeast in vats or sealed barrels. The process
gives a fresh, juicy taste, without the bitterness
or astringency of tannins.
Grape pulp pressed
The press separates
the skins and seeds, which
are discarded. Clear, filtered
juice runs out of the press.
Grapes are crushed
The white wine
process begins with crushing
grapes to release the juice.
1
PRESS
150 ml
(5 fl oz)
250 ml
(8.5 fl oz)
125
calories
200
calories
Tannins and
antioxidants are
filtered out with
the seeds and
skins before
fermentation
Pulp contains
juice, skins,
and seeds
FERMENTING
TANK
CRUSHER
Pure fermented
juice (white wine)
WHY NOT
JUST EAT GRAPES?
The supposedly beneficial
ingredients in red wine are also
present in the skins and seeds of
the grapes we eat. However,
many people prefer to
eat seedless grapes, or
avoid chewing the
bitter seeds.
750 ml
(25 fl oz)
600
calories
2
3
US_170-171_Wine.indd 171 18/01/2017 09:46
..................Content has been hidden....................
You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.