Did you know that the earliest archaeological evidence of wine production date back from 6000 BC? Ever since, wine has been an important part of celebrations, religious rituals and social gatherings all over the world. The first half of the 20th century has seen the beginnings of popularity of the wine and food pairing. Escoffier, a French cook, restaurateur and culinary writer was the first to suggest in 1928 that red meat and burgundy should be paired, following by the legendary Micheline Guide and its recommendation for the wine and food matching in general. As someone loves wine for its matching with food, others enjoy this ancient drink for its health benefits. When it comes to healthy diet, red and white wine are the ancient rivals for the throne. Who is the winner?
The Basic Nutrition Facts
Red and white wine are neck in neck in terms of calories, calcium, magnesium and carbohydrates. However, red wine has less natural sugar and more iron. Additionally, red wine wins in the battle for phosphorous with 3.4%, while white wine has only 2.6% of this mineral. The similar situation is with potassium, as well. The absolute winner when it comes to lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids responsible for eye health is red wine as it contains 7mg of the carotenoids in one glass, while white wine has none.
Cardio Productiveness
Until 2006, it was believed that only red wine is beneficial against heart disease. Red wine is made with both the skin and the pulp of grapes, while white is made only with the pulp. The grape skins contain anthocyanins, which can help you fight heart problems. Anthocyanins belong to the type of antioxidants called polyphenols. However, a study from 2006 confirmed that white wine is rich in other polyphenols, even though it does not contain anthocyanins. Finally, white wine lovers can rejoice!
Histamine
Histamine is a substance which plays a key role in wine intolerance. According to a recent study, red wine contains significantly greater number of histamine compared to white wine. One of the main symptoms of wine allergy include shortness of breath, chest pain, trouble breathing, wheezing, sneezing diarrhoea and stomach pain.
Lung Function
The research has confirmed the positive correlation between lung function and the wine intake. When red and white wine were compared separately, it was concluded that moderate drinking of white, rather than red wine is associated with better lung function. On the other hand, high-alcohol consumption was proved to have devastating effect on the obstructive airway.
Moderation
First of all, the risk of cardiovascular diseases may be reduced in patients who moderately drink alcohol. Moderate amounts of alcohol raise the levels of good cholesterol, which protects against heart disease. In addition, type 2 diabetes is less likely to occur in persons who drink moderately than in non-drinkers. Moderation includes how much wine you drink and how you drink it. Women should not have more than one drink per day, while men should limit the wine intake to one to two drinks a day.
You should divide the amount of alcohol during the week. You can have more than five drinks during one day, for example during a night out and this week total may be the same as drinking one glass of wine at four days in a week, but the health risk is higher in the first case. So, the next time you go for either red and white wine specials, drink them moderately since you now know what moderation is.
To sum up, both red and wine are good for our health. They play different parts in maintaining our overall health. We can conclude that, in the end, it boils down to personal preference.