Many health-conscious people wonder whether wine is a medicinal tonic that benefits their health, or something that should be avoided at all costs. Nutritionist Frank Cooper spent two years researching the subject of wine and health, and found many answers. He investigates the medicinal, nutritional, and environmental issues to do with wine, and the health considerations of the chemicals and additives that may be used in wine-making.

1. Many health-conscious people wonder whether wine is a medicinal tonic that benefits
their health, or something that should be avoided at all costs. Nutritionist Frank Cooper
spent two years researching the subject of wine and health, and found many answers.
He investigates the medicinal, nutritional, and environmental issues to do with wine,
and the health considerations of the chemicals and additives that may be used in wine-
making.
The journey starts by revisiting the French Paradox and why French cuisine is protective
against heart disease. Professor Serge Renaud's paper, published in the British Medical
Journal in 1991, helped bring wine into favour around the world. The good doctor, a
Cardiologist working at the University of Bordeaux, reported that 2-3 glasses of red wine
per day for males could reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 40%. For women he
recommended 1-2 glasses per day.

2. Copenhagen Heart Study - Denmark
The answer was provided several years later in 1995 when the Copenhagen Heart Study
from Denmark was published in the British Medical Journal. This was a study to analyze
alcohol consumers of wine, beer, and liquor. The study tracked 24,000 men and women
over a twelve-year period. The report analyzed the death rates and found that only wine
had a beneficial effect on reducing all-cause mortality. The Copenhagen Study proved
that there was something different about wine. But what was it? What were the health
properties in wine?
Antioxidants / Free Radicals
The answer came from American food scientists who were investigating 'free radicals'
and antioxidants. Dr. Edwin Frankel and his colleagues at the U.S. Department of
Agriculture in Illinois and the University of California (Davis), had done considerable
study into oxidation and the benefits of anti-oxidants. When oxidation occurs in the
human body it can damage living cells. However Frankel's team observed that the
natural chemicals found in plant foods were powerful anti-oxidants that counter-
balanced the damaging effects of cell oxidation. In other words, oxidation is fine in the
human body if there is a counter-balancing supply of anti-oxidants as found in plant
foods.
Let's now consider some of the downsides of wine.
As a clinical nutritionist working with patients, I have noted many people who suffer
from wine allergies. These sufferers restrict their consumption of wine because of
headaches, facial flushing, sinus problems and other negative reactions.
Wine allergies can be linked to a number of chemicals that enter the winemaking
process, and to a lesser extent, the natural chemicals contained in the grape itself. Since
most people can eat grapes without a problem, it would suggest that the natural
phytochemicals found in grapes are an unlikely culprit. Therefore the focus must be on
the chemicals added during the grape-growing and winemaking processes.
The extent to which chemicals are used in wine-making varies greatly between wine-

3. makers, so let's investigate the more common chemicals that are used.
Vineyard Chemicals
Insects and fungal diseases are a major problem in most vineyards and they are treated
before they cause serious damage. The solution is to spray the vines with compounds
that destroy the pests, and these can be either organic or man-made pesticides. Some
vineyards use organically-approved pesticides like natural sulphur and hydrogen
peroxide as they do not leave any toxic residues on the grapes. However the majority of
vineyards use man-made pesticides because they are more powerful, and require less
effort. As a rule, man-made chemicals benefit the grape-grower, whilst organic
pesticides are of benefit to the consumer for health reasons.
Sulphur Dioxide, Sulphites, Preservative #220
Many people, including myself, are affected by wine allergies caused by the addition of
Sulphur Dioxide. This is a chemical that goes under different names including
"Preservative 220" and "Sulphites". These are all the same term for Sulphur Dioxide and
it is the chemical that has been proven to cause most of the allergies experienced by
wine drinkers. Note that whilst #220 is the most commonly used, any number between
#220-226 is a sulphite.
Oak – a potential problem for some.
Oak is a problem for sensitive people because it contains high levels of tannins that are
the astringent component of most plants designed to repel insects and grazing animals.
Tannins have strong chemical properties that affect some people.
Another problem with oak is that the insides of wine barrels require cleaning and
disinfecting from time to time. Unfortunately this will require cleaning chemicals to
clean the inner barrels and these are absorbed into the timber and will leech back into
the wine later.

4. Cork or Screw caps – which is better?
This is a winemakers' hot topic. But let me give you the story as I see it in the year 2008.
The traditional cork as we know it, has been used for centuries. It allows the wine to
breath, and helps the wine to age over time for those who like to cellar their wines.
However it has a real problem. Cork is a natural product and can cause the tainting of
the wine giving it a bad taste and smell. Statistically, it happens to 1-in-16 bottles which
means that 1 bottle in every 16 is a dud. That's a very high risk especially if you have
bought a premium-imported wine. For the technically inclined, it occurs when an
airborne fungus combines with chlorine and becomes a compound called 2,4,6-
Trichloroanisole, which causes the musty taste and smell known as 'cork taint'. Where
do these chlorine products come from? They can be found in cork trees that have
absorbed chlorine-based pesticides such as DDT, chlordane, and heptachlor.
Does wine contain histamines?
This is a commonly held belief that is inaccurate. Histamines are molecules released by
the human body when exposed to some types of allergen which might be pollen or dust,
and that includes the sulphites in wine. When the human body reacts to an allergen like
sulphites, the immune system triggers a cascade of events, and one of those is the
release of histamines by the cells and tissues, which cause the familiar redness to the
skin or results in headaches and so on. Histamines are a part of your immune system –
but they are not in the wine. Some wines may contain small amounts of 'amines' but
these are different from histamines.
Supplements for the alcohol blues
One of the problems with excessive alcohol is that it causes us to feel lethargic the next
morning. That's because alcohol overloads the liver, and whenever your liver is
overloaded, your energy level drops. The Chinese realised the importance of the liver
many centuries ago, and Traditional Chinese Medicine focuses strongly on liver health.
So what should you do if you are attending a dinner function, where you may drink
more wine then you should?

5. Ethanol alcohol and your liver
Wine contains ethanol that the human body breaks down to its primary constituent
which is acetaldehyde, a chemical that is toxic in high concentrations. Acetaldehyde can
diffuse across the brain barrier and irritate the membranes in the brain that lead to
headaches the next morning. Fortunately, we have a key body organ called the liver that
has the responsibility to breakdown the acetaldehyde and remove it from circulation.
Nationalities affected by ethanol alcohol
People from Europe, who have been drinking wine since 2000 years BC, have genetically
adapted to ethanol alcohol. However certain populations such as those of Asian
descent, and the original native people in the Americas and Australia, do not have the
same genetics for the metabolism of alcohol. These populations have a higher likelihood
of experiencing facial redness and flushing, heart rate fluctuations, and symptoms of
reduced blood pressure. This is sometimes referred to as 'oriental flushing syndrome'.
This is due to a deficiency in the enzyme that breaks down alcohol - called aldehyde
dehydrogenase – and consequently acetaldehyde remains in the bloodstream at higher
levels for longer periods. In other words, the acetaldehyde is not being removed from
the bloodstream quickly enough causing the hot flushing effects. Rough estimates
suggest that 50% of Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans are partially deficient in this
enzyme.
Acetaminophen/Paracetamol and alcohol
Most people are not aware that the #1 cause of kidney failure in Australia is due to
paracetamol (called acetaminophen in USA) which is a painkiller readily available in
supermarkets. This "gentle to the stomach" painkiller is deadly to the kidneys if taken in
excess. In fact, there is no other drug that has such a narrow margin between the
effective dose and the toxic dose. In other words if taken exactly as prescribed,
paracetamol has a good safety record. But if taken beyond its guidelines, then damage
occurs. What is also not well known is that paracetamol affects the detoxification
pathways used by the human body to breakdown alcohol, and therefore anyone
concurrently drinking alcohol and taking paracetamol will be over-dosing on

6. paracetamol. This can cause serious kidney damage and lead to kidney failure and
ultimately liver failure. If painkillers are required, then I would recommend the herbal
painkillers.
How much wine can you safely drink?
One or two glasses per day are fine for most people who do not have a medical
condition. A glass of wine is 100ml, so 100-200ml per day is fine for the average-size
person. A larger person weighing say 180lbs (80kg) or more may consume 200-300ml
per day. Remember that a standard size bottle of wine is 750ml (26 fluid ounces) so a
quarter bottle is probably the right amount for most people.