What makes red wine great for your health?
The various health benefits of Red wine have caused many people to deem it as a super-food. In moderation, red wine has a wide range of health benefits that stem from certain substances found in the wine. The compounds function as antioxidants and help prevent a wide range of diseases. In this article, we will investigate what these substances are, and the chemistry of what makes them healthy.
What are these special compounds?
Red wine contains a large number of compounds called Polyphenols. Polyphenols are a class of organic chemicals (compounds that contain carbon). They are characterized by the presence of large multiples of phenol units. Phenols are an aromatic organic compound (ring or cyclic compound, notice the sample structures) with the molecular formula C6H5OH. It consists of a phenyl group (−C6H5) bonded to a hydroxy group (−OH).
The polyphenols in wine can be further divided into two major groups: Flavonoids, and non-flavonoids. One major type of Flavonoids are anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments that give the wine its color. Aside from this, Flavonoids also contain tannins. Tannins are polyphenols from the skins, seeds, and stems of the grapes. Flavonoids are responsible for the color and mouthfeel of the wine. The non-flavonoids compounds include the stilbenoids (such as resveratrol) and phenolic acids (such as benzoic, caffeic and cinnamic acids). Non-flavonoids also contribute specific characteristics to wine, such as creating specific flavors and aromas.
What exactly makes Polyphenols special?
Aside from the fact that Polyphenols contribute to the taste and color of the wine; they are also exceptional antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that may inhibit or delay some types of cell destruction. What exactly do Antioxidants protects cells from? Radicals. Radicals are an uncharged molecule (highly reactive and short-lived) that has an unpaired valence electron. Free radicals are extremely reactive with cellular structures because they contain unpaired electrons. They are natural by-products of reactions in the body such as, metabolic processes and immune system responses. Free radical-generating substances are everywhere. They’re found in the food we eat, the medicines we take, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. Fried foods, alcohol, pesticides, and air pollutants are all examples of free radical-generating compounds. Free radicals can cause damage to parts of cells such as proteins, DNA, and cell membranes. They do this by taking their electrons through a process called oxidation. This type of damage is called “oxidative damage”. When free radicals oxidize essential parts of the cell, those components cease to function normally. If such damage is allowed to accumulate it may eventually cause the cell to die.The polyphonic compounds in wines act as “Radical scavengers”. They find these radicals, and react with them to form compounds that cells can safely dispose off. A sample of this reaction can be summarized by:
R• + PhOH → R-H + PhO•
Where R• would be the Radical and PhOH would be the polyphenolic compound. Notice the PhOH donates a hydrogen to the Radicle to stabilize it (resulting in the less harmful compound R-H that can easily be disposed of). Now wait, what about the PhO•? Isn’t that a radical now? Not exactly. In this particular example the PhO• (a.k.a a Phenoxyl radical) can be easily stabilized through resonance and/or hydrogen bonding or combine to yield less harmful products.
This reducing property of the wine can easily be observed by leaving a bottle of wine open for a few days. After a while, individuals can observe browning of the wine and a loss of specific flavors. This can be explained by these polyphenolic compounds being oxidized in air.
Impacts on Cardiovascular Health
Observations from epidemiological studies showed that wine-consuming populations were protected from high-rates of heart-disease. Research has found that as we absorb polyphenols, they change many properties of blood lipids, making LDL-cholesterol more resistant to the sort of oxidation that may cause atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. But aside from just preventing atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, drinking small quantities of wine a day has been show to decrease chances of stroke, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and early death.
Is one type of Red wine Healthier?
Good question Reader! Not all types of Red wine are equal in polyphenol contents! In fact, the preparation of the wine itself greatly affects the amounts of polyphenolic compounds it contains (we will briefly discuss this in the next section). Aside from the natural polyphenols, sulfides are also added to some wines during the wine-making process. Sulfur dioxide, for example, plays a role in the antioxidant properties of wine. It is added to the wine during the wine-making process due to its antibiotic and antioxidant properties. These properties protect the wine from decomposition by bacteria and oxidation. Also, research suggests that the Sulfur dioxide may offer synergistic effects with the polyphenolic compounds found in wine. This helps boost the reducing properties of the wine. Despite this, Sulfur dioxide is toxic in large amounts. Thus, government agencies (Like the F.D.A) limit the quantity that can be present in food and drinks. So different wines could having varying amounts of sulfur dioxide.
Red Wine vs White Wine
The main distinction among white and red wine has to do with the color of the grapes used and the fermentation process of the grape juice. To make white wine, grapes are pressed and skins, seeds, and stems are separated before fermentation. But, to make red wine, the skin, seeds, and stems are included in the fermentation process. The grape skins grant the wine its pigment, as well as many of the distinctive polyphenols found in red wine. As previously mentioned, a major group of Polyphenols (Flavonoids) include anthocyanins and tannins. These compounds are commonly found in the skins, seeds, and stems of the grapes. So yes, while white wines do contain the some of the same Polyphenolic compounds, it is at a much lesser amount than that of red wines.
Conclusion
The key takeaway from this article, is that the various health benefits of wines are caused compounds called polyphenols which reduce the amount of havoc and damage radicals are able to cause in a cell. While wine can be beneficial in moderate amounts, it’s important to remember not to go overboard:
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