The
Health Benefits of Wine: A continuing Paradox
By
Guy Bower
Wichita
Alive & Well Magazine, December 1998
“Wine has been with us since the beginning of
civilization -- it is as integral part of our culture, heritage and the gracious
way of life.” Robert Mondavi made this statement many years ago.
And in fact, this quote is emblazoned on most bottles of wine produced by
the Mondavi family. These somewhat elementary words say so much.
Many people today, pundits, mavens, doctors and the like are quick to
tell you why you should or shouldn't be drinking wine.
THE FRENCH PARADOX
Ever since the 60 minutes segment in 1991, when Morley Safer gave life to
"The French Paradox" - the notion that French people, despite their
lust for high fat foods were enjoying life without suffering the high level of
heart disease present in the United States - we have been bombarded with
information both pro and con. I
don't want to be accused of rehashing the old, but I would like to refresh your
memory with some of the findings these reports have brought to life and add my
two cents regarding this very simple yet revered beverage.
If I may be hasty in my generalization, French people
do tend to eat a higher fat diet than we Americans do (they have McDonald’s
too), they smoke more and they are not enthusiastic exercise fanatic like many
Americans are portrayed. What's the
difference? It's the wine dummy, or
so the French Paradox says. Without
doubt the French people (as a nation) do have a different attitude about the
fruit of the vine. Wine consumption
in France is on a par with water consumption in this country.
It is the beverage of choice for mealtime, and is a part of the dinning
experience even for the very young. A
little wine mixed with water is regularly served to young French children as
they enjoy a buttery croissant with cheese and foie gras, -- a custom left
untried by most Americans.
I subscribe to the combination of wine, diet and
lifestyle myself. Since Safer’s
influential report, the scientific benefit of wine, particularly red wine has
been well documented. In a nut
shell (nuts are good for you too by the way) wine in general and red wine in
particular is very high in things that now are generally accepted as good for
your heart, arteries and balance of the “yin and yang” of Cholesterol.
Remember, lower the BAD – LDL, and increase the GOOD - HDL.
HEART HEALTH
In conversations with our own local "Heart Hero" Dr. Joseph Galichia,
I have learned a lot about some of the technical reasons wine can contribute to
overall heart health. The compounds
associated with fermented grape juice that provide these heart healthy benefits
are called flavonoid phenolics. Impress
your friends at your next social gathering by telling them wine is a
particularly rich dietary source of flavonoid phenolics.
Always looking for an easier way to accomplish the
same goal, leave it to some enterprising young entrepreneurs in California to
come up with a "wine caplet". You
guessed it, all the alleged benefits of red wine but you don't need a glass and
you won't suffer any dreaded side effects of alcohol.
The caplet, called Red Wine Marc Extract, produced by a California
company called Arkopharma has meet little success.
At $9.95 for a box of 30 capsule of wine-barrel sediment, I just don't
think it would go well with Saturday night Steak night at my house.
"All the benefits of red wine without the alcohol!"
“Nonsense”, says Dr. R. Curtis Ellison, the
Boston University School of Medicine professor showcased in the 60 minutes
report. According to Ellison, much
of red wine's benefit, is the alcohol. He
says, "Alcohol is responsible for at least half the protection that red
wine gives you, and may enhance the effects of the other substances in the
wine." I know it enhances the
enjoyment of my thick juicy steak when I sit down to our Saturday night dinner
with the family.
Whether it is the alcohol, the phenolic compounds, or
the combination of wine and a Mediterranean diet, you can now say that finally
science has -- at least tacitly -- given the nod of approval for a consumable
product that many of us like to drink.
JUST A SIP
Moderation is an important and well-debated topic.
The French consider consuming a bottle with dinner “moderate”.
Moderation is a somewhat personal issue with the facts supporting eight
to 16 ounces with dinner as being quite moderate, even on a daily basis.
Wine has been espoused for centuries as a superior
beverage. Louis Pasteur said,
"Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages".
Before him Plato remarked "No thing more excellent nor more valuable
than wine was ever granted mankind by God."
In the big scheme of things it wasn't that long ago that to preclude
illness from bad water, wine was the beverage of choice.
So
what do you do with all this information? I
think “nothing is an acceptable answer. If you enjoy wine with meals, fine. If you do not, that’s fine too.
I don’t think I would start drinking wine as a medicinal remedy in an
attempt to increase longevity. As a
matter of fact, a study by the Department of Health and Human Services found
that 88% of drinkers would not consume more wine as a result of wine labels that
would tout wine’s health benefits. So,
drink it because you like it. If
wine is an integral part of your culture and heritage -- take heart – science
seems to be on your side. May you
always enjoy “The Good Life”.