WINE AND HEALTH: ANTIOXIDANTS

WINE AND HEALTH: ANTIOXIDANTS/PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS 200 different phenolic compounds
Did you know that every glass of wine contains approximately 200 different phenolic compounds (or phenols)? According to Andrew Waterhouse, Ph.D., a key researcher at University of California, Davis, Department of Viticulture and Enology, wine is "one of the best sources of phenolic antioxidants available to Americans." Phenolic compounds are found in high concentrations in the grape skins, seeds and stems. Red wine, which utilizes all of these parts in the winemaking process, seems to be a particularly rich source for antioxidant nutrients.

Scientists all over the world have already isolated and identified compounds such as resveratrol, catechin and quercetin, and have begun to establish their antioxidant and protective properties, already finding phenolics in wine to potentially reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol, inhibit platelet clotting, and produce a more favorable HDL-LDL cholesterol ratio. The most recent research has begun to indicate the potential role of phenolic compounds in reducing the risk for both heart disease and cancer, which will assure continuing research in this very important area.

TO LEARN MORE about wine-specific health benefits, mealtime consumption, antioxidants, phenolic compounds and healthy lifestyles of wine drinkers visit the Wine Institute Web Site at:
http://www.wineinstitute.org