Cheers!

Ok, I don't drink... nothing wrong with that, many people do drink moderately - a nice glass of wine, or two...

Anyway, thing is I often say to people, "Of course you can have a glass of red wine with your lunch," and invariably they answer,

"What about white wine, can I have that?"

So let's talk about wine and the difference between red and white...

Wine is, as we all know, basically fermented grape juice but the difference as to the color depends on whether the grape juice is fermented with or without the seeds and skins.

White wine is made from grapes where the skin and seeds have been removed prior to pressing and fermenting.

Red wine is made from grapes, skins, seeds and stalks, all chucked in together and pressed - or
trampled and them fermented.  It is the pigment in the skin of the grapes that gives red wine its color, and it is also where the antioxidant resveratrol is found which gives red wine a "healthier" label... or does it?

A nutritional comparison of 1 glass of red or white wine would look something like this (depending on the wine):

As you can see, red wine has a very slight edge over white due to its slightly higher vitamin and mineral content (I have listed just a few, wines also contain vitamin B6, manganese, riboflavin, etc..)

Why you should drink red wine:

Resveratrol, found in the skin of grapes, has been heralded as a superfood for its anti-inflammatory

and antioxidant activity.  We still need more testing to be done, but so far it has been found to help with:

Alzheimer's Disease:  Resveratrol seems to stop the formation of beta-amyloid, these are particles that play a key part in plaque formation in the brain that are a present in Alzheimer's Disease.

Cancer prevention:  the jury is still out on this one, but it is thought that resveratrol may help in the prevention and treatment of some cancers.

Anti-aging:  Resveratrol's antioxidant activity activates genes that prevent disease due to aging.

Joint Pain:  Resverarol's protective anti-inflammatory activity means that cartilage is protected and doesn't damage so easily.

HDL:  HDL or good cholesterol because of its heart protective properties is linked to lower rates of heart disease.  It was found that adults who drank 1-2 glasses of red wine daily increased their HDL levels between 11-16% in a four week period compared to those who just drank water or water with a grape extract.  Therefore, it is believed that drinking red wine has a protective effect on the cardiovascular system and has been linked to a 30% lower risk of dying from heart disease.

However, this information does not mean you can drink as much as you like with the excuse of how healthy it is!!!  it is important to limit the amount of wine (or any alcohol) you drink, 1 glass a day is enough to reap the benefits.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com