The
health effects of wine (and
alcohol in general) are
the subject of considerable
ongoing study. In the USA,
a boom in red wine consumption
was initiated in the 1990s
by '60
Minutes', and other
news reports on the French
paradox. The French
paradox refers to the lower
incidence of coronary heart
disease in France than in
the USA despite high levels
of 
saturated
fat in the traditional French
diet. Epidemiologists suspect
that this difference is
attributed to the high consumption
of wines by the French,
however this suspicion is
based on limited scientific
evidence.
Population
studies have observed a
J curve association between
wine consumption and the
risk of heart disease. This
means that abstainers and
heavy drinkers have an elevated
risk, whilst moderate drinkers
have a lower risk.Population
studies have also found
that moderate consumption
of other alcoholic beverages
may be cardioprotective,
though the association is
considerably stronger for
wine. These studies have
found a protective effect
from both red wine as well
as white wine, though evidence
from laboratory studies
suggests that red wine may
possess superior health
benefits including prevention
of cancer due to the fact
red wine contains more polyphenols
than white wine due to the
production process.
A
chemical called resveratrol
is thought to be at least
partly responsible for red
wines' health benefits,
as it has been shown to
exert a range of both cardioprotective
as well as chemoprotective
mechanisms in animal studies.
Resveratrol is produced
naturally by grape skins
in response to fungal infection,
which includes exposure
to yeast during fermentation.
As white wine has minimal
contact with grape skins
during this process, it
generally contains lower
levels of resveratrol. Other
beneficial compounds in
wine include other polyphenols,
antioxidants, and flavonoids.
Red
wines from South of France
(Bordeaux, Cotes du Rhone
and Bourgogne) and Sardinia
Italy have been found to
have the highest levels
of procyanidins - the compounds
in grape seeds responsible
for making red wine good
for the heart. Wines from
France and Sardinia have
between two and four times
as much procyanidins as
other red wines. Procyanidins
suppress the synthesis of
a peptide called endothelin-1
that constricts blood vessels.
A
2007 study found that both
red and white wines are
effective anti-bacterial
agents against strains of
Streptococcus. Interestingly,
wine has traditionally been
used to treat wounds in
some parts of the world.
Whilst
evidence from both laboratory
studies as well as epidemiology
(observational studies)
suggests wines' cardioprotective
effect, no evidence from
controlled experiments -
of which long-term studies
are still ongoing - currently
exists to determine the
specific effect of wine
or other alcohol on the
risk of developing heart
disease or stroke. Moreover,
excessive consumption of
alcohol including wine can
cause some diseases including
cirrhosis of the liver and
alcoholism. Also the American
Heart Association cautions
people "not to start
drinking ... if they do
not already drink alcohol.
Consult your doctor on the
benefits and risks of consuming
alcohol in moderation".
Based
on the UK unit system for
measuring alcoholic content,
the average bottle of wine
contains 9.4 units.
Sulphites
Sulphites are present in
all wines and are formed
as a natural product of
the fermentation process.
Additionally, many wine
producers add sulphur dioxide
in order to help preserve
the wine. The level of added
sulphites varies, and some
wines have been marketed
with low sulphite content.
Sulphites
in wine are not a problem
for most people, although
some people, particularly
people with asthma, can
experience adverse reactions
to them. Sulphur Dioxide
is also added to many other
foods though, for example
in dried apricots and Orange
Juice.
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