# Wine & Health



## dpambianchi (May 8, 2010)

I have never been as excited about anything related to wine and winemaking since I have done an extensive literature and study search into the health benefits of moderate wine consumption.

We've all heard about the latest research and what not, but it only is convincing once you dig deep and understand the data, and I have. So the evidence is as convincing as ever.

In this forum, I look forward to sharing your thoughts and experience on the benefits of healthy drinking, just like the fellow who had not one, but two heart attacks and then decided to take up wine making and drinking.

WINE IS GOOD FOR THE HUMAN BODY. Let's raise a glass (or two) to that. Let me hear from you.

Daniel


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## Julie (May 8, 2010)

Ok Daniel,

How about sharing what you know. I know red wine is suppose to be good for you because of Resveratrol but what do you know about white wine?


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## AlFulchino (May 8, 2010)

adding to the reservatrol thread of this discussion...about a month ago i was pouring wines at one of my wine tastings and a lady came up to me and introduced herself as a chemist for Welch's.....she proceeded to tell me that there is more reservatrol in cold climate grapes because ..in part....more reservatrol is produced in vines that face more disease pressure found in colder and more humid/wet climes

(i am adding this in) i didnt say diseased vines..she said vines that face more disease pressure

i thought that was interesting


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## Julie (May 8, 2010)

Al, that is very interesting, if you go to North Carolina they will tell you muscadine wines have the most reservatrol.


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## Wade E (May 8, 2010)

here is a good link to some interesting reading.
http://www.winepros.org/wine101/wine-health.htm


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## dpambianchi (May 8, 2010)

AlFulchino said:


> adding to the reservatrol thread of this discussion...about a month ago i was pouring wines at one of my wine tastings and a lady came up to me and introduced herself as a chemist for Welch's.....she proceeded to tell me that there is more reservatrol in cold climate grapes because ..in part....more reservatrol is produced in vines that face more disease pressure found in colder and more humid/wet climes
> 
> (i am adding this in) i didnt say diseased vines..she said vines that face more disease pressure
> 
> i thought that was interesting



Yes, the Welch lady is absolutely right. Here is the excerpt in my book that mentions this.

It is interesting to note that resveratrol molecules are manufactured under stress in plants as a mean to fight off fungal infections. Then too, resveratrol is also classified as a phytoalexin (antibiotics produced by plants that are under attack) and, therefore, concentrations of resveratrol are highest in grapes grown in cool and wet climates. This is the basis of the Xenohormesis Hypothesis which states that “animals have evolved to sense stress signaling molecules in other species, in order to gain advance warning of a deteriorating environment.”


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## Wade E (May 8, 2010)

Very cool info you guys! Keep it coming as knowledge is power but I ttypically cant get myself to read very often unless its on a site like this and in small doses as i seem to loose interest in reading fast (fall asleep)!


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## dpambianchi (May 9, 2010)

Wade E said:


> Very cool info you guys! Keep it coming as knowledge is power but I ttypically cant get myself to read very often unless its on a site like this and in small doses as i seem to loose interest in reading fast (fall asleep)!



Well, on the lighter side of things, but still backed by some serious research, women who drink two glasses of wine a day have reported to experience greater sexual satisfaction than non-drinkers or one-glass-a-day drinkers. We can safely extrapolate these results to men, without the need for any scientific studies. But gentlemen (and post-menopausal women), be forewarned—alcohol exacerbates snoring. And yes, moderate red wine consumption is also believed to help alleviate erectile dysfunction problems.


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## dpambianchi (May 9, 2010)

Julie said:


> Al, that is very interesting, if you go to North Carolina they will tell you muscadine wines have the most reservatrol.



It's all about procyanidins, and the Tannat grapes have the highest concentration. Tannat is the grape of Madiran wines as well as some beautiful wines from Uruguay.


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## dpambianchi (May 9, 2010)

Julie said:


> Ok Daniel,
> 
> How about sharing what you know. I know red wine is suppose to be good for you because of Resveratrol but what do you know about white wine?



A study just published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology journal concludes that grape-derived polyphenols (eg. in wine) reduce colorectal cancerous tumor growth by inhibiting angiogenesis and inducing apoptosis.


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## Wade E (May 9, 2010)

Love the info Daniel but dont you dare print that wine drinking is associated with snoring again cause if my wife see's this it will all be over! She'll throw a hand grenade in my cellar! Keep that great info coming and so glad you decided to jump on our forum and share your knowledge in an area where I know I lack.


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## dpambianchi (May 9, 2010)

Wade E said:


> Love the info Daniel but dont you dare print that wine drinking is associated with snoring again cause if my wife see's this it will all be over! She'll throw a hand grenade in my cellar! Keep that great info coming and so glad you decided to jump on our forum and share your knowledge in an area where I know I lack.



LMAO! I'm just reporting the facts. Show her the bit about greater sexual satisfaction; surely she'll want to reach some compromise.


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## damplatz (May 13, 2010)

I like to think that red or white wine is good for me...In fact, I like to think that everything is good...in moderation : )


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## dpambianchi (May 13, 2010)

damplatz said:


> I like to think that red or white wine is good for me...In fact, I like to think that everything is good...in moderation : )



It's a matter of good, better, best; red wine is best.


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## Tom (May 13, 2010)

Daniel
What do you thing of this article?
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/42667
Any truth in it?


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## non-grapenut (May 13, 2010)

It's true that Muscadine/Scuppernong variety wine has one of the highest resveratrol concentrations due to leaving the skins in the primary for longer than other red/white wine recipes. The skin of the wine is what holds the greatest concentration of resveratrol. The muskiness and sourness factor of this wine wouldn't exist without doing this extended skin soaking period. Also, it is very high in vitamin C and Postassium. I love living in the South!


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## dpambianchi (May 13, 2010)

Tom said:


> Daniel
> What do you thing of this article?
> http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/42667
> Any truth in it?



Yes, red wine is believed to reduce the risks of Type 2 diabetes. I discuss this in my new book "Wine Myths, Facts & Snobberies." 

This is not a new study but rather a meta-analysis of many studies. It's disappointing because it still points to resveratrol knowing that wine has little of it to warrant such great health benefits. The real "magical" ingredient is procyanidins -- and there was no mention of that.


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## Sandro_Vlasov (May 30, 2010)

*Georgian wines*

Georgian wines, especially wines of Kakhetian type are rich in bioantioxidants, such as bioflavonoids and resveratrol, which protect human’s organizm from free radicals, that cause various illness. These bioantioxidant strengthen action of vitamin C, protect nervous tissues, suppress an inflammatory processes, resist to development of allergy, improve circulation of blood, adjust function of endocrine glands and infhibit the development of cancer. Traditionally the wines are made in qvevri – the clay vat dug in the ground.


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## Wade E (May 30, 2010)

Glad to have you aboard Sandro, looks like you have a very good knowledge on this subject also!


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## dpambianchi (May 31, 2010)

Sandro_Vlasov said:


> Georgian wines, especially wines of Kakhetian type are rich in bioantioxidants, such as bioflavonoids and resveratrol, which protect human’s organizm from free radicals, that cause various illness. These bioantioxidant strengthen action of vitamin C, protect nervous tissues, suppress an inflammatory processes, resist to development of allergy, improve circulation of blood, adjust function of endocrine glands and infhibit the development of cancer. Traditionally the wines are made in qvevri – the clay vat dug in the ground.



Well then! I'll have to search out Georgian wines.


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## Sandro_Vlasov (May 31, 2010)

*Georgian wines*



dpambianchi said:


> Well then! I'll have to search out Georgian wines.



Well, as I know Georgia exports some wines to Canada, USA, but not those I'm talking about. If you want to taste traditional Georgian wine produced in huge georgian amforas, clay vessels called "Kvevri" you should better visit Georgia. I won't insist on it's advantage over european or other wines for taste or aroma, "Tastes differ". The traditional Georgian wines are unique by their antioxidant potential and the production method. For about 7000 years Georgians have been making wine in the "Kvevri". And there is evidence of it; thats why Georgia is considered to be the cradle of winemaking.
Today Georgian winemaking is in bad position beacuse of Russian embargo and other economical reasons, but some wine companies manage to stay over the problems and produce high quality wines. Every year we receive medals at worlds different wine competitions, such as Decanter World Wine Awards, International Wine And Spirit Competition, International Wine Challenge and other.
By the way, The 33rd World Congress of Vine and Wine and the 8th General Assembly of the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (O.I.V.) will take place this year in Tbilisi (Georgia) from 20 to 27 June. So if anybody interrested in Georgia or Georgian wine you can visit us.


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## dpambianchi (May 31, 2010)

I guess I'll have to come to Georgia ... any excuse to find/drink good (and healthy) wine!!


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## Christ (Jul 7, 2010)

AlFulchino said:


> adding to the reservatrol thread of this discussion...about a month ago i was pouring wines at one of my wine tastings and a lady came up to me and introduced herself as a chemist for Welch's.....she proceeded to tell me that there is more reservatrol in cold climate grapes because ..in part....more reservatrol is produced in vines that face more disease pressure found in colder and more humid/wet climes
> 
> (i am adding this in) i didnt say diseased vines..she said vines that face more disease pressure
> 
> i thought that was interesting



Yes I agree with Alfulchino. Grapes grown in cold region have more reservatrol than other grapes.


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## fn_rhea09 (Jul 8, 2010)

dpambianchi said:


> A study just published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology journal concludes that grape-derived polyphenols (eg. in wine) reduce colorectal cancerous tumor growth by inhibiting angiogenesis and inducing apoptosis.




You're right!

Just like the Red Wine which reduces the risk of heart ailments and this has been proven by numerous studies before.Although wine contains a low dose of alcohol, moderate drinking of wine especially red wine can be beneficial to your health especially if you are 40 years old and above.

In the Philippines, many Filipinos drink red wine to prevent heart problems from being developed. and the popular brand of red wine there is the “Maria Clara Sangria”.


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## Tom (Jul 8, 2010)

Just out From Wine Spectator

Resveratrol Linked to Blindness Prevention
Red-wine compound reduces abnormal blood-vessel growth in the eye
Jacob Gaffney
Posted: July 6, 2010 
Past studies have found that resveratrol, a polyphenolic compound found abundantly in red wine and grapes, helps reduce inflammation of the arteries. Now, a paper published in the July issue of the American Journal of Pathology, finds the chemical lowers blood-vessel growth in the eye, thereby reducing symptoms associated with the leading causes of blindness.

Researchers at the ophthalmology department at Washington University in St. Louis working with pharmacologists at R.W. Johnson medical school in New Jersey found that resveratrol, when administered in high doses, helps block the formation of new blood vessels, called angiogenesis, in mouse retinas. Angiogenesis in healthy patients is normally balanced, but when vessels grow out of control, the result is symptomatic of several cancers as well as age-related diseases such as diabetic blindness and macular degeneration.

"These disorders encompass the leading causes of all blindness," states the study text, hypothesizing that understanding how to prevent abnormal eye blood-vessel growth is key to developing "novel therapeutic approaches."

The red-wine compound's performance in previous vascular studies made it the perfect candidate for research, said Washington University retina specialist Rajendra Apte, the study’s senior investigator, in a statement. "There were reports on resveratrol’s effects on blood vessels in other parts of the body, but there was no evidence that it had any effects within the eye," he said.

The investigators used a laser to make four incisions on the retinas of mice, thereby stimulating angiogenesis. Some mice received no resveratrol, while two groups received different doses—22.5 milligrams of resveratrol per kilogram of weight or 45 mg/kg. The study authors stress that resveratrol in these amounts is considerably greater than what is found in several bottles of wine.

The scientists found that in the two groups of mice given resveratrol, the abnormal blood vessels began to disappear. The effect was much more marked in the group given the higher dose. After seven days of resveratrol treatment, for example, the volume of abnormal blood vessels was roughly one percent of the amount found in the control group.

The scientists also believe they’ve identified a new pathway in which resveratrol exerts this effect. "We believe the pathway may be involved both in age-related eye disease and in other diseases where angiogenesis plays a destructive role," Apte said, adding that resveratrol may one day be administered orally at high doses as both a preventative and a treatment, most likely in pill form.


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## alanfalala (Sep 9, 2010)

Wine is not good for the Health. But the benefits are also available of the wine like cuts stroke risk, Regular, Moderate Alcohol Consumption Protects Against Atherosclerosis, Women Wine Drinkers Have Fewer Kidney Stones, and so on.


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## non-grapenut (Sep 9, 2010)

Think of the AMOUNT of fruit that goes into making a wine. That, alone, has to be healthy somehow. I always wondered what the true nutrition label would look like on the back of a bottle of wine...hmmm.


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## Tom (Sep 25, 2010)

Now really... Can you drink just ONE (glass)?
Now if it's a glass that can hold 750ml then YES drink 1 glass.


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## Drez (Sep 30, 2010)

AlFulchino said:


> adding to the reservatrol thread of this discussion...about a month ago i was pouring wines at one of my wine tastings and a lady came up to me and introduced herself as a chemist for Welch's.....she proceeded to tell me that there is more reservatrol in cold climate grapes because ..in part....more reservatrol is produced in vines that face more disease pressure found in colder and more humid/wet climes
> 
> (i am adding this in) i didnt say diseased vines..she said vines that face more disease pressure
> 
> i thought that was interesting




I wonder then do cold climate whites (e.g. Vidal = Yummy) have more Reservatrol than typical reds?


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## dpambianchi (Oct 1, 2010)

Drez said:


> I wonder then do cold climate whites (e.g. Vidal = Yummy) have more Reservatrol than typical reds?



No. Cold climate does not mean that grapes have to fight fungal attacks. Climates of high humidity are more of a concern since mold can grow easily and quickly, and then the grape's defensive mechanism kicks in to fight fungal attacks and increase resveratrol production in the process. And this all varies with grape varieties.


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## Drez (Oct 1, 2010)

dpambianchi said:


> No. Cold climate does not mean that grapes have to fight fungal attacks. Climates of high humidity are more of a concern since mold can grow easily and quickly, and then the grape's defensive mechanism kicks in to fight fungal attacks and increase resveratrol production in the process. And this all varies with grape varieties.




Alas Vidal Blanc is as I understand it quite resistant to mildew and despite the cold weather in these parts we do suffer from a fair bit of humidity...


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## dpambianchi (Oct 1, 2010)

Drez said:


> Alas Vidal Blanc is as I understand it quite resistant to mildew and despite the cold weather in these parts we do suffer from a fair bit of humidity...



That's right. Vidal is thick-skinned.


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## Daisy (Oct 12, 2010)

Anything in limit not harmful for us.The consumption of wine within a certain limit can give you benefits.The immune system is stronger if you can drink a glass of wine in a alternate day and It prevents you from stomach cancer and also from food poisoning.

Red Wine is infact prescribed by Doctors in certain cases.Heart problem is alleviated by drinking moderate amount of Red wine.


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## PPBart (Oct 12, 2010)

I’ve always been a relatively healthy guy, but if I’d known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself(!) 

I do have some chronic medical issues, and occasionally have to visit a doctor. While making such a visit recently, I discovered something that really irritated me. My doctor stepped out for a moment for some important interruption (probably his broker calling) and left my record jacket open on the desk. I was sitting right there next to him, and naturally just browsed over the notes he’d written. I was surprised to see the notation “history of alcoholism” so when the doctor returned I questioned him about it. He replied that I had stated to him that I consumed alcohol regularly, an average of about two drinks a day. That is true, I enjoy a glass or two of wine most evenings with and after dinner, and I truthfully reported that in the health questionnaire I completed for this doctor. The doctor went on to state that in his opinion people always under-reported consumption by at least a factor of two, so he assumed I had done that as well. 

I asked if there was any medical indication in any of my test results, lab work, etc that would support such a conclusion – he admitted there was not. I asked him if he was aware of the info published about health benefits of alcohol, or the guidelines published by the various organizations that essentially said two drinks a day was OK for men – he admitted that he was. I then asked him what his definition of alcoholism was – he said in his opinion anyone who regularly consumed alcohol in any quantity was an alcoholic. 

This is another example of erroneous information being inserted in our individual official records -- no different from inaccurate credit reporting, etc. -- about which I'm unsure what we could do. I don't expect that it will have any real adverse effect on me -- don't intend to apply for any more life or health insurance policies and my home is paid off and I don't intend to be applying for a loan to buy another one -- but that notation could impact others in potentially serious ways!


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## dpambianchi (Oct 13, 2010)

PPBart said:


> I’ve always been a relatively healthy guy, but if I’d known I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself(!)
> 
> I do have some chronic medical issues, and occasionally have to visit a doctor. While making such a visit recently, I discovered something that really irritated me. My doctor stepped out for a moment for some important interruption (probably his broker calling) and left my record jacket open on the desk. I was sitting right there next to him, and naturally just browsed over the notes he’d written. I was surprised to see the notation “history of alcoholism” so when the doctor returned I questioned him about it. He replied that I had stated to him that I consumed alcohol regularly, an average of about two drinks a day. That is true, I enjoy a glass or two of wine most evenings with and after dinner, and I truthfully reported that in the health questionnaire I completed for this doctor. The doctor went on to state that in his opinion people always under-reported consumption by at least a factor of two, so he assumed I had done that as well.
> 
> ...



I suggest you find another doctor. He is obviously not up to date on the latest research about the health benefits of moderate wine consumption.


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## Drez (Oct 13, 2010)

I would agree that your GP is wrong to report that as "Alcoholism" as any such definition would require it to be impacting your life in some negative way, to slap any sort of label on it with out any follow up is pure lazy. [Self reported answer *2 = x, if answer X > 2/day = alcoholism] is a silly formula without taking the time to probe further. 

To his credit though, psychology research has shown that people persistently under-report socially undesirable activities, smoking and drinking tend to be the text book examples. I think the problem isn't the fact that he assumed you may under report drinking habits or that drinking in excess can be harmful to your health, those items are fact. The issue here is the conclusions he jumped to.


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## PPBart (Oct 13, 2010)

Drez said:


> I would agree that your GP is wrong to report that as "Alcoholism" as any such definition would require it to be impacting your life in some negative way, to slap any sort of label on it with out any follow up is pure lazy. [Self reported answer *2 = x, if answer X > 2/day = alcoholism] is a silly formula without taking the time to probe further.
> 
> To his credit though, psychology research has shown that people persistently under-report socially undesirable activities, smoking and drinking tend to be the text book examples. I think the problem isn't the fact that he assumed you may under report drinking habits or that drinking in excess can be harmful to your health, those items are fact. The issue here is the conclusions he jumped to.




I stated in my original post that I was not particularly worried about any negative impact for me. However, I've since begun to wonder about about that... When I took advantage of an early retirement offer in 2006, I decided to get a term life insurance policy to replace what my previous employer had provided. It was surprisingly difficult (actually, impossible) to find a policy at what I considered reasonable cost for a 56-yr old male non-smoker in good health. Now I wonder if some such notation somewhere in my medical records was a factor(!)

And I wonder how common that attitude and action are among medics...


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## Minnesotamaker (Feb 21, 2011)

PPBart said:


> ...........This is another example of erroneous information being inserted in our individual official records -- no different from inaccurate credit reporting, etc. -- about which I'm unsure what we could do. I don't expect that it will have any real adverse effect on me -- don't intend to apply for any more life or health insurance policies and my home is paid off and I don't intend to be applying for a loan to buy another one -- but that notation could impact others in potentially serious ways!......



You'll be fine until as a society we come to the conclusion that we can't afford health care in it's current form. Should rationing come about, you could be deemed an "undesirable". It's happened before... and they say that history repeats itself. 

I would ask that the record be corrected. You could come in for an emergency and the physician on duty could come to a wrong conclusion by following where that assumption leads. People suffering from insulin shock can appear drunk and some have died when they were thrown into the "drunk tank" to sleep it off.


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## George_A (Mar 10, 2011)

dpambianchi said:


> No. Cold climate does not mean that grapes have to fight fungal attacks. Climates of high humidity are more of a concern since mold can grow easily and quickly, and then the grape's defensive mechanism kicks in to fight fungal attacks and increase resveratrol production in the process. And this all varies with grape varieties.



Certain traditional wine-making areas in Sardinia and the Republic of Georgia are areas noted for their high number of centenarians and researchers have established that the wines have a higher polyphenol content than most. The reason seems to be that the vineyards are at higher altitudes, possibly affecting the levels of UV light the grapes are exposed to. Australian wines for example, from grapes grown at low altitudes, are not as high in polyphenol content.

Not everyone wants to drink wine, however, luckily there are other sources of these compounds that one can drink; green tea, pomegranates, honey and cocoa are good alternatives. The chocolate manufacturing process tends to destroy polyphenols so chocolate only contains about 5% of the original amounts. Fresh cranberry juice is as good as red wine but the juice sold in shops has lower levels than fresh cranberry juice. Pomegranate juice is probably the best source.

As a guide to equivalence two glasses (250ml) of red wine should have as much as 10 cups of green tea, six cups of cocoa, four glasses of cranberry juice or one glass of pomegranate juice.


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## Wade E (Mar 11, 2011)

Great info George, thanks for sharing.


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## AlFulchino (Mar 11, 2011)

"As a guide to equivalence two glasses (250ml) of red wine should have as much as 10 cups of green tea, six cups of cocoa, four glasses of cranberry juice or one glass of pomegranate juice. "

that's great to know did you have a source for this that i can share with others?


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## George_A (Mar 12, 2011)

AlFulchino said:


> "As a guide to equivalence two glasses (250ml) of red wine should have as much as 10 cups of green tea, six cups of cocoa, four glasses of cranberry juice or one glass of pomegranate juice. "
> 
> that's great to know did you have a source for this that i can share with others?



The source - Dr Neil O Johnson's article (ezinearticles.com/?Why-Red-Wine-Is-Good-for-the-Heart&id=4995764)


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## Luc (Mar 12, 2011)

How about this :

A Dutch professor in food-science did research on all kinds of myths about food and health.

Now the thesis was that people that drink one to two glasses of wine a day were healthier as people who did not and drank beer for example.
So he investigated it.

Well the outcome was astonishing.
What did he do.

He went to several groceries and checked what people had in their cart when leaving the shop.
The fact was that people who bought wine generally bought more healthier goods as people who bought beer. We are talking food-snacks here.
People who buy beer are more generally also buying chips etc. 
People who buy wine snack differently. Like cheese, olives etc etc.
That in part explains why people who drink wine may be healthier as people who drink beer.

So according to this professor it has less to do with the wine itself and more with general lifestyle.

Luc


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## Runningwolf (Mar 12, 2011)

Now that makes a lot of sense!


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## jet (Mar 12, 2011)

Luc said:


> How about this :
> 
> A Dutch professor in food-science did research on all kinds of myths about food and health.
> 
> ...


I've read the same thing about vitamins.


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## Runningwolf (Mar 12, 2011)

Kind of like super sizing at McD's and getting a diet coke.


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## Midwest Vintner (Jan 24, 2012)

ibglowin said:


> Hmmm IP is coming up from Pakistan.....



A wine terrorist? oh no! j/k lol. 

Wine is good for you. The acidity may not be good for your teeth, but it won't hurt them in small amounts (IDK, 4-8 glasses weekly at 2 or less per occasion?). It is not only the antioxidants, but alcohol in general will thin the blood, which lowers blood pressure. That is good on occasion as it makes the heart work less for a period. The heart can use a break occasionally.


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## Nilsonbor (Jan 30, 2012)

*will follow*

wow I will follow your topics :0


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## Runningwolf (Jan 30, 2012)

Nilsonbor said:


> wow I will follow your topics :0



I wish that was true but you have just been voted off the island!


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## Angelina (Jan 30, 2012)

Great information, thanks for posting. I noticed most of the information pertained to red wines, is there any good information on white wines? Cheers!


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## George_A (Mar 4, 2012)

Angelina said:


> Great information, thanks for posting. I noticed most of the information pertained to red wines, is there any good information on white wines? Cheers!



There are wines from white grapes with a health profit. Those wines are made by the ancient Georgian method in kvevri and have amber or orange color . The are full of antioxidants which bind the free radicals in our body and slow down the body’s ageing process. Kvevri wines might be the secret elixir for the eternal youth of the Georgian folk!


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