Wine is fine...in moderation.
There are some things in this world that I just love. Red wine is one of those things. Moving into my early 30's I realize that red wine has now reached the realm of passion for me. Gone are the days of drinking any red wine, enter the days of wine snobbery.
As a Nutritionist, I believe that everything that doesn't serve every part of your body, must be in moderation in order for it to serve you at all. Wine is one of those things. There are many different camps that exist as to whether wine has any benefits. My camp believes that red wine is a great antioxidant. Wine contains flavonoids, which can prevent blood clotting and can help to prevent certain types of cancers. They are phytonutrients which are the reason for red grape's colour. The flavinoid, Resveratrol is said to be why people in the Mediteranian exibit less risk of heart disease. Of course, there is also a bad side to red wine and this is where the moderation part comes in. Drinking alcohol of any kind in excess can not only lead to addiction and liver trouble but it can also lead to weight gain and can cause allergic reaction in many people.
The three ingredients in wine that often cause trouble are: tannins, sulphites and histamine.
Tannins are the flavinoids in wine that we discussed before as being beneficial. Tannins release seratonin, that can cause headaches in some people. Usually these people are also migraine sufferers. Tannins are also present in chocolate, some teas and soy.
Sulphites are a preservative that is used to prolong the life of the wine. They are also one of the most allergenic additives out there. 1 percent of the population exhibits some form of allergy to sulphites.
Wine also contains histamine that is more than likely the culprit for headaches and that stuffy nose some get after drinking wine. Histamine triggers the body's inflammatory response. Histamine is found in the skins and is often higher in red wine.
So what's the trick to enjoying red wine in moderation? For me, it's buying good quality organic wine that is as dry as possible, that contains the lowest concentration of sulphites. Not only do organic wines taste better, they often use better quality grapes and therefore contain less histamine.
Going organic means ensuring the best grapes possible, reducing pesticide residue and therefore reducing adverse reactions. Not all organic wines are lower in things like sulphites but most are. Here's where I recommend an organic wine...
Sonop 2005 Organic Terroir Shiraz, vintage is $12.95 CAN. It's a South African wine and is nice and dry. I am not a wine reviewer and I don't know the language but I can say that it definitely has a clove taste and is quite dense. A good buy for the price for sure.
I will probably continue to suggest good organic wines as I discover them. Stay tuned!
more grape and wine info if you are interested.
Take care,
The Nutritionista
As a Nutritionist, I believe that everything that doesn't serve every part of your body, must be in moderation in order for it to serve you at all. Wine is one of those things. There are many different camps that exist as to whether wine has any benefits. My camp believes that red wine is a great antioxidant. Wine contains flavonoids, which can prevent blood clotting and can help to prevent certain types of cancers. They are phytonutrients which are the reason for red grape's colour. The flavinoid, Resveratrol is said to be why people in the Mediteranian exibit less risk of heart disease. Of course, there is also a bad side to red wine and this is where the moderation part comes in. Drinking alcohol of any kind in excess can not only lead to addiction and liver trouble but it can also lead to weight gain and can cause allergic reaction in many people.
The three ingredients in wine that often cause trouble are: tannins, sulphites and histamine.
Tannins are the flavinoids in wine that we discussed before as being beneficial. Tannins release seratonin, that can cause headaches in some people. Usually these people are also migraine sufferers. Tannins are also present in chocolate, some teas and soy.
Sulphites are a preservative that is used to prolong the life of the wine. They are also one of the most allergenic additives out there. 1 percent of the population exhibits some form of allergy to sulphites.
Wine also contains histamine that is more than likely the culprit for headaches and that stuffy nose some get after drinking wine. Histamine triggers the body's inflammatory response. Histamine is found in the skins and is often higher in red wine.
So what's the trick to enjoying red wine in moderation? For me, it's buying good quality organic wine that is as dry as possible, that contains the lowest concentration of sulphites. Not only do organic wines taste better, they often use better quality grapes and therefore contain less histamine.
Going organic means ensuring the best grapes possible, reducing pesticide residue and therefore reducing adverse reactions. Not all organic wines are lower in things like sulphites but most are. Here's where I recommend an organic wine...
Sonop 2005 Organic Terroir Shiraz, vintage is $12.95 CAN. It's a South African wine and is nice and dry. I am not a wine reviewer and I don't know the language but I can say that it definitely has a clove taste and is quite dense. A good buy for the price for sure.
I will probably continue to suggest good organic wines as I discover them. Stay tuned!
more grape and wine info if you are interested.
Take care,
The Nutritionista
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posted by The Nutritionista at 11:18 AM
1 Comments:
Moderation....right. I should have thought of that Friday night! Ha-ha! Definitely want to try the organic wine - I was actually going to ask you if wine ever caused a stuffy nose - I've TOTALLY experienced that before!
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