[Amy]

Amy asked the Naked Scientists:

My name is Amy, I'm from New Jersey, USA. I am thoroughly enjoying both "Naked Scientists ENHANCED PODCASTS" and "The Naked Scientist" podcasts, which I have recently discovered on iTunes.

This morning I listened to an Enhanced Podcast from 06.11.19. Toward the beginning of the podcast, there was information about the benefits of a substance found in red wine, which, when given to mice in large quantities helped them gain less weight even on a high fat diet, and also seemed to give them more energy, and a longer life span.

My first question is whether this same substance, and the associated benefits, are also found in purple grape juice. From a scientific/health perspective, are there differences between red wine and grape juice besides the presence of alcohol?
 
Thank you so much. Keep up the great work!

What do you think?

[Don_1]

I will drink a vat of red wine today and some grape juice at a later date and compare the results. I will have the answer for you in a couple of weeks, all supposing I ever sobber up from the red wine that is.

[chris]

Unfortunately the answer is no; the chemicals that have antioxidant and blood pressure lowering effects are lipophilic (dissolve in fats and alcohols) and so alcohol is needed to help to extract the chemicals from the flesh and pips and make them dissolve in the wine.

This interview with Roger Corder explains the background to some of the health-beneficial effects of red wines:

http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/content/interviews/interview/636/

Chris

[SammySchwartz]

Red tea is also good for our health.Red tea is also available for good health.It is look like a refreashness in your life.

[Makeetelich92]

I drink a glass of wine every evening for more than three years, and it became some sort of ritual for me, relaxation, positive thinking.., having this 30 to 60 minutes meditation-like state every evening is really something special for me and it improved my life in many ways...
<<SPAM REMOVED>>

[evan_au]

I had my doctor tell me to drink a glass of red wine every day - it was good for my heart.
A few years later, a heart specialist told me to stop drinking red wine - it was bad for my heart.
Presumably the cardiologist knows better?

[alancalverd]

My favorite cardiologist used to begin his public lectures by pointing out that the French smoke more, eat more red meat and fat, drink more wine, and (at least claim to) have more extramarital sex than the British, but have a far lower incidence of fatal heart disease. The reason is remarkably simple.

[evan_au]

the French ...drink more wine

At a business dinner in France, my French hosts asked what type of wine I liked.
- I replied "I prefer my grapes fresh".
- "What a waste of a good grape!" was the reply...

[Bored chemist]

the French ...drink more wine

At a business dinner in France, my French hosts asked what type of wine I liked.
- I replied "I prefer my grapes fresh".
- "What a waste of a good grape!" was the reply...

I never understood the appeal of unfinished brandy.

[ScienceAmy]

Hello,

what makes red wine healthy is its high content of polyphenols (as tannins are called in medical jargon). It can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, and prevent cancer, dementia and kidney disease. But despite these effects, one glass of wine a day is clearly too much and positive effects are only seen when consuming a maximum of three glasses a week.

Unlike red wine, fruit juices such as grape juice also contain vitamins, which makes them much healthier. An important vitamin is the vitamin C for which I found a very good German article here, which can be easily translated with newbielink:http://deepl.com/translator [nonactive] or a similar translator:
newbielink:https://www.vitamin-c-fakten.de/natuerliches-vitamin-c-test/#Was_ist_natuerliches_Vitamin_C [nonactive]

The water-soluble vitamin is found mainly in citrus fruits and fresh vegetables and fruits and strengthens, among other things, the immune system, counteracts physical ailments through natural collagen formation and protects cells from oxidative stress.

[evan_au]

Another difference is that grape juice has a lot of sugar, which can cause a spike in blood sugar if you drink a glass of it (equivalent to eating a large bunch of grapes).
- In wine, bacteria have already digested most of the sugar (waste product: alcohol), so it causes less of a spike in blood sugar

So it's a tradeoff: spike in blood sugar (too high is dangerous) vs spike in blood alcohol levels (too high is dangerous)

[Bored chemist]

Alcohol messes with blood sugar too.

[scarlettzou]

Some research studies suggest that red and purple grape juices may provide some of the same heart benefits of red wine, including: Reducing the risk of blood clots. Reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol. Preventing damage to blood vessels in your heart.