Red wine is not the only heart felt drink

Posted on Tue, 8 Dec 09

Red wine has long enjoyed the spotlight for heart health though a lesser known fact is that there are two alcoholic beverages, also made from grapes, which are rich in antioxidants and may have unique health effects.

Bubbles with benefits

Little attention has been paid to Champagne which, in contrast to white wine, is high in antioxidants and may have unique health benefits.  Experimentally Champagne has been found to have an antioxidant effect and more recently it was found that a 375 ml glass of Champagne acutely caused blood vessels to relax, a process related to improved heart health (1-2).

Cognacs’ healthier cousin

The South West of France is synonymous with the “French paradox” that is, some of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world despite a high fat diet. Unique to this region is a type of brandy called Armagnac. Unlike the more popular Cognac, the distillation of Armagnac results in the retention of high levels of antioxidant compounds of the grapes from which it is made. In a study comparing vodka to Armagnac it was found that regular consumption of Armagnac (30 ml daily for 2 weeks) had a beneficial cardiovascular effect, whereas the vodka did not (3).

Enjoy responsibly

While these findings are interesting, as a whole the risks of alcohol consumption outweigh any benefits. Modest consumption may have positive health effects but this should not be reason to overindulge. Click here to learn what constitutes healthy alcohol consumption.

References

1. Vauzour D, Vafeiadou K, Corona G, et al. (2007) Champagne wine polyphenols protect primary cortical neurons against peroxynitrite- induced injury. J Agric Food Chem 55, 2854–2860.

2. Vauzour D, Houseman EJ, George TW, et al. Moderate Champagne consumption promotes an acute improvement in acute endothelial-independent vascular function in healthy human volunteers. Br J Nutr. 2009 Nov 30:1-11. [Epub ahead of print]

3. Umar A, Depont F, Jacquet A, et al. Effects of armagnac or vodka on platelet aggregation in healthy volunteers: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Thromb Res. 2005;115(1-2):31-7.