Alcohol-free red wine - good for the heart

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that red wine, without the alcohol, is also good for the heart.

Dr. Jennifer R.C. Bell and her colleagues at the University of California took a 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon and removed the alcohol content. They then asked 5 men and 4 women, all healthy, to drink about ½ cup of the de-alcoholised wine, with water added on one day and water and ethanol added on the other. The levels of flavonoid - catechin - the wine component credited with heart benefits –were monitored before and after consumption.

The researchers found that the dealcoholised wine produced a greater benefit than the standard red wine. The half-life of the catechin was significantly shorter (3.17 hours) when subjects, irrespective of gender drank alcoholic red wine than when they drank the dealcoholised version (4.08 hours).

It has been acknowledged for some time that moderate amounts of alcohol make a positive contribution to the health of the heart. However, previous research shows that alcohol by itself increases concentration of HDL, "the good cholesterol" in the blood.

The results of this new research suggest that red wine provides two independent factors - one related to the alcohol content and the other to the flavonoid content - both capable of contributing to vascular health when consumed in moderation.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2000;71:103-108

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This page was last updated on 02 August 2000 11:55:34