In 1724, London physician Dr. Peter Shaw proclaimed, “wine preferable to water,” with his book In Juice of the Grape, a pioneering examination of dietary health. Then, in the mid-1800s, Louis Pasteur declared, “Wine is the most healthful and most hygienic of beverages.”
The relationship between wine and health has fascinated both oenophiles and teatollers for centuries. But it was not until the last fifty years that hard-core scientific evidence revealed wine’s effects on health.
The verdict? The issue is layered with pros and cons, some of which still slip elusively beyond the grasp of modern science. Most of the discoveries have pointed to the benefits of alcohol in general, but the recent buzz has focused specifically on wine as a tool for fighting heart disease.
The serious interest in wine’s link to cardiovascular health began in the 1980s, and with it, the coining of the wine lover’s favorite phrase, the French Paradox. (The French Paradox refers to the discovery that a number of French residents who consumed high-fat diets – considered a primary contributor to coronary heart disease – as well as wine on a regular basis did not exhibit the effects of such a diet. Wine appears to have negated the ill-effects of high-fat foods.) Dr. Justin Ardill, cardiologist and proprietor of Reilly’s Wine’s in Australia’s legendary Clare Valley, explains it has been noted since the discovery of the French Paradox, that all forms of alcohol, consumed in moderation on a regular basis, may contribute to reduced mortality from coronary heart disease.
So is wine more beneficial to your health than other forms of alcohol?
Investigations by U.C. Davis and other leading universities in the research of viticulture, including Australia’s University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, recently found evidence to indicate that wine, particularly red wine, is more beneficial to one’s health and well-being than other forms of alcohol.
U. C. Davis professor Dr. Andrew Waterhouse published one of the leading works on the subject, “Wine and Heart Disease,” which first appeared in the journal Chemistry & Industry in 1995. In his work, Waterhouse explored evidence that the skins and seeds of grapes contain remarkable amounts of antioxidants. Because red wines receive more contact with skins and seeds than white wines during the winemaking process, they become richer in antioxidants, although white wines do also have measurable amounts of antioxidants.
A primary antioxidant found in grape skins is resveratrol, noted for its ability to inhibit the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins, (LDL). Pinot Noir has been singled out for containing the highest levels of resveratrol in commonly consumed wine grapes.
Explains Dr. Waterhouse, resveratrol, along with a number of other antioxidants found in wine grapes, (such as querciten) have been scientifically proven to slow the development of arterial plaque, thus slowing or, optimally, preventing the development of heart disease.
Oddly, however, simply consuming red grapes or grape juice does not offer the same benefit as wine. It is, according to Dr. Ardill, the antiplatelet effect of wine that makes an impact on heart heath. “Alcohol also increases the good cholesterol in the blood,” adds Ardill.
These days, wine is considered as beneficial to the skin as it is to the heart. It has become en vogue to offer skincare products and spa treatments featuring wine or grape by-products. Mimi Mettayanuvat, a nineteen-year veteran of the skincare industry and manager of the new Beauty Collection Apothocary in Los Angeles, favors the skincare line Dr. Brandts for its high proportion of grape seed extracts, which Mettayanuvat has observed to dramatically slow the visible signs of aging.
Best known as the king of Botox, Dr. Fredric Brandt has dedicated his career to slowing down the effects of time on the body. Among the first to apply the knowledge of wine’s antioxidant properties, Brandt’s pioneering efforts have resulted in products that impart concentrated levels of grape antioxidants. Brandt considers grape antioxidants to be the most powerful natural antioxidants available for the skin; claiming they can retard and even reverse skin damage caused by free radicals.
These attributes have made the grape seed the latest spa darling. The Spa at CordeValle, an Auberge Resort in Central California, is at the forefront of the grape seed craze, offering a variety of grape-product body treatments like the “Vineyard Experience.” This spa therapy promises both anti-aging and immune-boosting effects from a herbal/grape seed steam followed by a grape seed exfoliation, a grape masque, and grape seed oil massage.
Yet despite all the hype surrounding the curative properties of grapes, medical traditionalists warn of the dangers of consuming alcohol, particularly the risks to women. The September 2003 Mayo Clinic Women’s Healthsource sites that more than two drinks a day raises a woman’s risk of breast cancer. The Healthsource article, based on a 2001 study by Mayo researcher Thomas Sellers that first appeared in the journal Epidemiology, also warns that women are far more susceptible to liver damage from alcohol consumption than are men and that all drinkers are susceptible to brain damage from consumption of controlled substances.
To drink or not to drink, what then is the answer to the conundrum?
Somewhat cynical of mainstream medicine, Dr. Murray Susser of the Longevity Medical Center in Los Angeles believes in the traditional merits of wine as a muscle relaxant and stress reliever. As for the recent research into the beverage’s pros and cons, Susser comments, “you can prove just about anything with statistics.” In other words, studies on small, selective groups can easily obtain a case for or against the consumption of alcohol. “I don’t think anyone can predict the future for any one individual.”
Susser believes that there are merits to the arguments for and against wine and that every person needs to measure the trade-offs for him or herself. The Mayo Clinic backs Susser’s directive, instructing, “Moderation is the key.”
But what exactly is moderation? The U.S.D.A. defines it as one drink per day for women and two for men. However, Australians and Brits use a more generous definition of two drinks per woman and four per man per day. Susser defines moderation as a far more personal decision than a government prescribed formula. “For some people, a glass of wine a day is too much.” Susser worries about the effects of alcohol on blood sugar levels and the subsequent fatigue and depression alcohol can cause in those less tolerant. He does acknowledge, however, that for some individuals, up to two glasses every day is perfectly tolerable.
Dr. Richard Fourzon, a Doctor of Chiropractic in Santa Rosa, California (deep in the heart of America’s Wine Country) sees many patients for whom wine consumption is a problem. Although he specializes in treating patients with allergies and intolerances, Fourzon generally doesn’t address the topic of wine consumption unless the patient brings it up. “If you question wine consumption, you probably need to be cautious.” It is generally in patients who question their tolerance of wine that Fourzon finds allergy issues. Quite often, however, he finds that the problem is with sulfites, not with the actual wine and can be circumvented when the patient sticks to drinking sulfite-free wines.
Essentially, there is no right or wrong answer from a health standpoint as to whether or not to enjoy wine on a regular basis. But, as Dr. Susser sagely advises, a couple of glasses of wine several times a week can be of less consequence to the body than the benefits it provides to the soul.
- Your Go-to Autumn Skin Reset From a Clean Beauty Expert. - August 25, 2025
- What If Your Fertility Journey Wasn’t Just About Trying – But About Becoming? - July 29, 2025
- KM Herbals - April 21, 2025