If you have been following lots of medical news, health articles or literatures, you probably might have come across the health benefits of red wine. But the sad news is that little have been discussed about the health benefits of white wine. Does white wine really have any health benefits? I am quite sure the same question might be running through your brain at the moment. Read on, as I introduce you to some of them. If you are one of those white wine lovers, then this is good news to you. Though red wine stands out from the competition as the healthiest wine, white wine also have some health benefits it offers too. But a very big warning I am passing out to you is that you should note that this heath benefits are only ascribed to moderate drinking ( a glass a day for women and two glasses a day for men). If you exceed this limits, then be rest assured that you are doing yourself more harm than good.
Before I go further, let me run through a brief recap of the health benefits of red wine.
In case you are yet to come across some health information about red wine, drinking a moderate amount of it has been linked to:
- Protecting the cells from damage by free radicals
- Improves cardiovascular health
- Lowering the risk of blood clots
- Lowering LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) "Bad" Cholesterol levels
- Increasing HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) "Good" Cholesterol levels
- Balancing blood sugar levels
- Improves memory and cognition
- Fights against cancer cells
- Fights against infections
- Promotes longevity due to the presence of resveratrol
Now, take what about those of white wine?
Health Benefits Of White Wine
The difference between red wine and white wine cannot just be concluded as one is made with red grapes while the other with white grapes. While grapes have a great impact in determining the colour of wine, the processing aspect also have a role as well. To produce red wine, grapes are most often pressed (this removes the skin) after undergoing fermentation. To make white wine, the grapes are first of all pressed (hence skinned) before fermentation occurs.
Since red wine is fermented with the grape skins still intact, more antioxidants such as resveratol, tannins and so on, remain in the wine. The story is not the same with that of white wine because the grape skins are removed, hence, they do not retain some of these super-healthy compounds. Below are just some health benefits of white wine that can make you feel good when taking your next glass.
1. It contains lots of nutrients
Just like red wine, white wine also contain several important nutrients too. These nutrients includes vitamin B, with minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, iron, potassium and manganese. The interesting news is that while white wine contains slightly less (compared to red wine) of these nutrients, it also contain slightly fewer calories.
2. It helps in lowering inflammation levels
It is no news that antioxidants helps in lowering inflammation levels, they are also found in wines. A research in 2015, published in the Journal Blood Purification tested the effects of white wine and olive oil (a popular anti-inflammatory staple of the Mediterranean Diet) on 10 health people and 10 people with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) inflammation levels were assessed.
The results discovered that plasma markers of chronic inflammation were significantly reduced on CKD patients during the combined consumption of white wine and olive oil. This suggest a possible anti-inflammatory effect from this natural intervention.
3. It may help in fighting against cancer
Polyphenol antioxidants just like the ones found in wine have been studied for quite some time now for their anticarcinogenic benefits. A 2016 study published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer gave a report in the effects or red and white wine polyphenols on prostate cancer cells. The result showed that red and white wine extracts have direct effects on the proliferation, survival, oxidative status and the induction of autophagy of PC-3 (human prostate cancer) cells.
4. It may have positive effects on your cholesterol
There are many evidences that white wine as well as red wine helps in improving your cholesterol levels. It does this by raising HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. which gives a healthier cholesterol profile.
5. It can help to balance your blood sugar levels
A 2015 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine , gave a report of 224 individuals who had "well-controlled" Type 2 diabetes, and who did not drank any alcohol before the study began. The participants were given a glass of red wine, white wine or mineral water with dinner for a period of two years. They were also given guidelines on Mediterranean Diet, but no limit was placed on their calorie intake.
After the period of two years, the results gotten are as follows.
The participants that drank red wine fared the best, as they exhibit improvements in their health, management of cholesterol and blood sugar control. However, the participants who drank red wine also exhibited an improved blood sugar control levels.
6. It can help you sleep better
In the study mentioned above, the researchers also discovered that participants who drank both red and white wine had an improvement in quality sleep time. A glass of wine with dinner can certainly have a relaxing effect, and science backs up this anecdotal notion.
Conclusion
So, while red wine seems to be the super star amongst the two, white wine also have some health benefits to boast as well. No matter the one you prefer, be it white wine or red wine, you should drink them moderately to give your health that overall boost.
