Don't Switch From White To Red Wine Yet

When it comes to wine, white wine lovers experience guilt when choosing white over the darker version because of the recent health news published about the numerous health benefits of red wine. But don’t give up on your white wine just quite yet. New studies are showing promising results for both red and white wines.

A study published in September in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry compared the antioxidant effects of resveratrol (from red) and tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol (from white) on rats. What they found was that white wine is just as effective as red when when it comes to improving heart functioning  The results suggest that white wine is just as powerful as red in improving heart function and preventing artery blockage. White wines are very rich in a certain type of antioxidant that is present in olive oil as well. Antixoidants are important in fighting diseases and aging. Wine contains some of the strongest antioxidants such as resveratrol, quercitin and epicatechin. The reason it is so rich in these disease fighting componenets is mostly due to how it is made. Grapes are fermented in order to turn them into wine, increasing the levels of antioxidants while the alcohol preserves them so that they can be easily absorbed by the body.

Another study found that white wine is even better than red at promoting healthy lung functioning . A study undertaken by the American Thoracic Society identified a direct relationship between drinking white wine and healthy lungs. They identified this mostly in people who drank between one and three glasses of white wine a day. These people had better lung functioning than those who drank red wine, or other alcoholic beverages. This study also took into account several other variables such as the wine drinker&undefined;s general health, age, and whether or not they were a smoker. Next time you are in the mood for white wine, don&undefined;t hesitate. In fact, try to make it a habit to have a glass of wine – whether it be red or white – with a meal each day.