Wine and health. Bubbles have several nutraceutical effects

White wine qualities confirmed and increased by many studies. According to University of Davis, white wines improve the digestion of low fat food and help preventing cardiovascular diseases

by Alberto Grimelli

Nowadays, the attention of young and new wine drinkers is oriented toward white wines, of good quality and well anchored to their origin land. A research by University of Davis, dating back to 2005, demonstrated that the polyphenolic compounds of white wines improve the digestion of low fat food and help preventing cardiovascular diseases.

The French doctor François Drouard used to say in the XXth century that the Champagne is an excellent oligotherapic, with homeopathic and aromatherapic effects. That is to say, the bubbles favor the digestion and oppose depression and anxiety.

White grapes, according to American and Finnish researchers, are characterized by some fractioned polymers, even if they contain less resvetralol and tannins than red grapes, correlated to bioavailability and assimilation of the human organism, act more intensely on cells in presence of a low alcohol grade and with high potassium acidity, helping the anti oxidant protein functions.

Thanks to their sulphur and manganese (the latter present in a higher proportion with respect to other wines), sparkling wines contribute to regulate the immune defence system in presence of food allergies and act, thanks to a higher content in zinc, as a tranquilizer, while their potassium favors and naturally stimulates a correct contraction of intestinal muscles.

White grapes are rich in melatonin and tyrosol. Melatonin is a powerful regulator of sleep and wake rhythms, prevents insomnia and drowsiness and is a powerful antioxidant as well. Tyrosolo is a powerful antioxidant for blood proteins that, together with two other substances present in grapes, such as potassium and niacin, act directly against inflammatory substances (by inhibition of cytokines), regulate the nervous excitation, contrast rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis and, together with caffeic acid, slows maturity and ageing of epithelial brain cells.

Studies published by the British Medical Journal, including those from Prof. Bertelli, put into evidence the beneficial effects of quercetin and shikimic acid, which is instrumental in synthesizing active principles from drugs like oseltamivir, which is useful against bird flu virus.

After 10 years of clinical experimentation, Artur Klatsky, American epidemiologist with the Medical Center, found that sparkling wine also contains hydroxytyrisol, an activator of sirtuin proteins, which can slow down the ageing of heart cells.

The Tokyo Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences found that regularly drinking highly acid white wine, such as spumante, determines an increase in love desire, defining spumante as a “healer for cold blooded people”.
Last, some studies carried out in the US and the one by the Epidemiology Danish Center of Copenhagen and involving thirty thousand women, have demonstrated that white wine is an excellent ally for couples who desire a child, since they considerably increase the level of fertility of women.