According to Dr. Volenberg, phytonutrients, such as tannins, and anthocyanins are extracted from grape skins during the winemaking process. Since red wines are made from grapes fermented with skins and seeds, red wines will have more phytonutrients than white wines, which are made from grapes fermented without the skins and seeds.

But what are phytonutrients and anthocyanins and why do we need them? Best Food Facts registered dietitian, Sarah Downs, tells us phytonutrients or phytochemicals are found in plant foods. Phytonutrients literally means “plant nutrients.” Phytonutrients are found in many plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, tea and wine! Like vitamins, phytonutrients can be beneficial to human health and helpful in preventing various diseases. They can also help protect the plants that contain them from germs, fungi, bugs and other threats. There are over 25,000 phytonutrients found in plant foods, the six most common being carotenoids, ellagic acids, flavonoids, resveratrol, glucosinolate and phytoestrogens. In addition to the health benefits, phytonutrients are often responsible for the vibrant colors found in fruits and vegetables. For example, tomatoes and watermelon get their pretty red color from the phytonutrient lycopene. That being said, the best way to ensure you are making the most of the different phytonutrients found in these foods is to eat a “rainbow” of fruits and veggies.

Okay, so what are anthocyanins?

Within 6,000+ members of the flavonoid family of polyphenol phytochemicals or phytonutrients, there is a particular group of compounds known as anthocyanins. Anthocyanins provide the bright red-orange to blue-violet colors of many fruits and vegetables, the amount of which can vary greatly depending on the food. Anthocyanins act as a protective mechanism for plants against environmental stressors like ultraviolet light, cold temperatures and drought. Though there’s still a lot to learn about this type of flavonoid, there has been extensive research linking its role in helping reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline and cancer.

If wine contains phytonutrients and anthocyanins, does that make it healthy?

Sarah Downs, RD: “Originally, red wine specifically was thought to be healthy due to the “French Paradox.” In some parts of France where they eat foods high in saturated fats and have high rates of smoking, the rates of heart disease are low. These people also drink lots of red wine, so researchers began to study whether there were compounds in red wine that protected against heart disease. The grape skin and seeds in wine (especially red) are rich in the antioxidant resveratrol, which may help prevent chronic disease. Red wine has more resveratrol than white because it is fermented with the skins on and white is not. To date, there isn’t enough good quality research to say whether red wine has a protective effect on health. Some studies have been done on the effect of the antioxidant resveratrol on protection against cancer and in some animal studies it has been shown to slow down the growth of cancer cells, but there is no proof this would be the same way for humans. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a wine drinker to get some resveratrol in your diet — grapes, blueberries, raspberries, grape juice and cranberry juice also contain the antioxidant.

“As with all foods, wine should be consumed in moderation because drinking too much of any alcohol increases the risk of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, liver damage, obesity, mental illness, some cancers and other health conditions, not to mention it has a significant amount of calories. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, drinking moderately means up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. One drink is 12 ounces of beer (if 5% alcohol), 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits. And if you don’t already drink red wine, don’t start drinking for the few health benefits it may provide.

“Bottom line — there is not one single health benefit you can get from wine that you can’t get from eating a balanced diet that includes lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, dairy and lean protein. Rest easy knowing that you can enjoy that glass of wine. Just do so in moderation.”

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A recently published medical research study from the University of Alberta, Canada reports that resveratrol, a natural compound found in some fruits, nuts, and red wine, may enhance exercise training and performance. To learn more about this seemingly magical compound, we reached out to Dr. Tony Johnston, Professor in the School of Agribusiness and Agriscience at Middle Tennessee State University.

What is resveratrol? What happens when consumed by humans?

Dr. Tony Johnston: “Resveratrol is one of many compounds produced by plants in response to stress. It is found in the skins of grapes as well as other foods such as peanuts and berries. This particular compound is one of a class of compounds called “polyphenols” (based on their physical structure) noted for its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants in general are thought to protect the human body against oxidative damage that leads to diseases such as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and diabetes. The logical argument is that consuming foods high in antioxidant compounds (including resveratrol) will protect a person against oxidative damage that is a factor in the development of these diseases.”

Does this mean drinking red wine regularly can help reduce our chances of getting any of those diseases? Potentially, but without further research, it’s hard to say for sure. Dr. Johnston points out that while it sounds amazing, there are several flaws to this logic, the most significant being the fact that oxidative damage is not the only cause of these diseases, so fighting oxidative damage alone is not enough. Another flaw to note is that it is unknown to what degree antioxidant consumption (via our diets or dietary supplements) is effective in disease prevention. What does that mean? According to Dr. Johnston, “the combination of these two flaws makes it impossible, therefore, to determine required consumption rates to cause the effect we desire.” So, while it would be amazing if we could just pop a cork instead of dragging ourselves to the gym, it’s going to be a few years and many research studies more before this is even a remote possibility.

Exercise can provide great benefits such as protection from a variety of health problems such as “heart disease, stroke, high blood sugar, noninsulin-dependent diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis.” Moderate red wine consumption can reduce “the risk of depression, colon, lung, prostate, and breast cancer, dementia, and type-2 diabetes, in addition to minimizing brain damage caused by stroke and slowing down aging rates.” So while exercise and red wine consumption certainly offer similar benefits, Dr. Johnston reminds us that there are also many benefits offered by regular exercise that drinking red wine does not.

Dr. Tony Johnston: “The bottom line is that until we conduct more high-quality research and understand much more about how our bodies work, the factors involved in disease expression, and the effects of the multitude of dietary permutations in our population, we’ll have to continue to exercise regularly, eat healthily, and see a physician regularly to ensure that we remain healthy. The consumption of resveratrol supplements to prevent disease and slow the aging process is not recommended. That being said, a glass of red wine, especially with good food and great company, will certainly make your life more enjoyable and may even offer some health benefits on the side.”

_{“wine flight” by Jing is licensed under CC BY.}

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