Struggling to decide if you want to pull a bottle of red or white wine out for dinner? If you can’t decide, perhaps these perspectives can help.
But first, remember, alcohol is only OK in moderation. That means no more than one drink for women and two for men daily.
Benefits of red wine
“A small amount of any alcohol may increase high density lipoprotein (the good cholesterol), thus decreasing the chance of developing heart attacks,” said Dr. Shereif Rezkalla, a Marshfield Clinic cardiologist who has studied the literature for data on drinks containing alcohol.
“A glass of red wine may have an additional benefit. That’s because red grapes contain antioxidants, such as resveratrol, that protect the heart from developing hardening of the arteries,” he said.
Rezkalla found no head-to-head comparisons of red and white wines in the medical literature, but the preponderance of evidence suggests red wine has an edge over white or other alcoholic drinks.
Comparing nutrients
Prevention, an American healthy lifestyle magazine, compared the two wine types from a nutritional standpoint, using the National Nutrient Database from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They pointed out that one glass, or five ounces of red wine, had 125 calories, compared to 121 for an equal serving of white wine. Both types tied for carbohydrates and calcium.
But red wine ran away from the white in other nutrients, with less sugar and more iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and choline, which helps prevent liver damage and reduces inflammation. Red wine also finished ahead in lutein and zeaxanthin, both carotenoids that promote eye health.
Who cares?
Of course, most people aren’t going to decide which to drink based on this type of information. But if you like both kinds of wine and are on the fence, maybe this could influence your decision.
“Apologies to lovers of sweet, white wine,” said Prevention, “but it just can’t compare to robust red with so many more minerals and less sugar.”
Regardless of type of wine, Rezkalla made one other important point for all of us to keep in mind.
“We must caution that this benefit may occur with very little drinking,” he said. “Any more than a small glass of wine may actually have a harmful effect.”
How much is too much? Find out the short answer.
I cannot have red wine because it causes migraines. But I can have white wines that are not made in the United States. They have less sulfites and for whatever reason white wine does not give me the bad side effects that red wine does.
Are there other sources that I can take that I can get the benefits that are in red wine?
Lynn – As mentioned in the story: “'A glass of red wine may have an additional benefit. That’s because red grapes contain antioxidants, such as resveratrol, that protect the heart from developing hardening of the arteries,' he said." That being said, you may opt to have some red grapes with your glass of white wine.
For other healthy eating advice or recipes, visit: https://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/tag/recipe/
Thanks for reading Shine365. -Kirstie
My appreciation and Thanks to Dr. Shereif Rezkalla, and the Entire Marshfield Cardio team for their efforts to improve heath and welfare!
Are pink zinfandel and pink moscato considered red wines? Or is it that I need to drink a darker red wine?
Donna, I shared your question with Dr. Rezkalla:
Pink wines have similar health properties to red wines, but any lighter colored wine is likely going to have less antioxidants than a true red wine. The wines you listed are considered “rose" wines. "'Red has more antioxidants than white, rose has similar to red,' says Lisa Young, adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University and author of The Portion Teller Plan. Since polyphenol level is rooted in the grape skin, red wine holds superior to lighter-tinted wines, though white wine does have some cardio-protective benefits." Source: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/drink/heart-healthy-benefits-of-wine/
Thanks for reading. -Kirstie, Marshfield Clinic
The label on my red wine says it contains sulfites. What are they, and are they harmful?
Great question, Leanne. We’ll consider writing a post on this in the future. I shared your question with Dr. Rezkalla. His response – Sulfates are commonly used in the wine industry as a preservative. Some people have an allergic reaction to them, regardless of what product they are in. This can be problematic to those with asthma. You can learn more here: http://www.wsj.com/articles/are-sulfites-in-wine-bad-for-you-1408056869 -Kirstie
Hi, Leanne! In case you have not seen this yet, we took your comment to our blog team and wrote a post about sulfites: https://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/wellness/sulfites-what-are-they-and-are-they-safe/
Thanks for reading Shine365. -Kirstie