Wine vs grape juice for health, The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides facts. It reports the nutritional content of a serving of each.
| Beverage | Calories | Fat (g.) | Carb (g.) | Sugars (g.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red wine | 125 | 0.0 | 3.8 | 0.9 |
| Grape juice (unsweetened) | 152 | 0.3 | 33.0 | 35.9 |
Wine vs Grape Juice
Grape skins are a good source of healthful antioxidants. In making red wine, the juice remains in contact with the crushed skins for a long time. The result is that red wine contains more antioxidants than simple grape juice.
Both red wine and grape juice contain a compound called resveratrol. The amount varies by grape variety. But to be helpful to health, the level consumed needs to be very high. It must be many times higher than that in either red wine or grape juice. Consuming vast quantities of wine and/or grape juice is not wise.
Wine contains alcohol. In fact, standard drinks of wine, beer, and spirits (liquor) have the same amount of pure alcohol. Research overall suggests no greater health benefits of wine (red or white) over beer or distilled spirits.
Some studies find the highest health benefits from beer. Others find it from from spirits. Some find it from wine. And many that look at all three find no differences among them in health or longe life benefits.
The one common denominator in alcoholic beverages is alcohol. So It appears that alcohol is the primary beneficial factor in alcoholic beverages.
Dr. Leonard Guarente is a professor at M.I.T. who studies the biology of aging. He reports that there is strong medical evidence that red wine extends life. But he says there are no similar studies on grape juice.
Resources
Web
Readings
- Das, D., and Ursini, F. Alcohol and Wine in Health and Disease.
- O’Byrne. Red Wine and Health.
- Peeters, A. Wine: Types, Production and Health.
- Rayess, Y. Wine: Phenolic Composition, Classification and Health Benefits.
- Sahidi, F., and D. Weerasinghe. Nutraceutical Beverages: Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health.
- Yeager, S., et al. The Doctors Book of Food Remedies.
Source
- Data for wine vs grape juice from the USDA.