Scholarly record

THE IMPACT OF POLYPHENOLS FROM WINE ON HUMAN HEALTH

V. Padureanu, A. Margean, M. I. Lupu, C. M. Canja

Abstract

Wine is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, promoting a more relaxed lifestyle in current society. However, wine has been used from the ancient times for medical purposes such as antiseptic and analgesic, dermatological diseases and digestive disorders treatments. In the last decades, the studies shown that a moderate wine consumption might have a positive impact on human health due to high content of antioxidant compounds released from skin and seed grapes during winemaking process. The antioxidant capacity of wine is directly correlated with polyphenols content. Polyphenols are the biggest group of phytochemicals, currently being identified more than 8000 phenolic structures, of which over 4000 flavonoids. The benefits of wine consumption depend on the different groups of polyphenols it contains such as anthocyanins, flavonols, stilbenes, phenolic acids, they being absorbed and metabolized from wine. Moreover, red wines are considered to have higher benefits compared to white wines on cardiovascular disease, probably due to an increased concentration of flavonoids. Recent research try to highlight the role that polyphenols have in prevention of degenerative, and neurodegenerative diseases, in cardiovascular diseases where are acting as powerful antioxidants against oxidative stress by preventing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and against cancer. Therefore, as excessive alcohol intake is of itself detrimental, all research indicates that the health benefits of wine are noted only when consumption is moderate.

Publication details

Back to publication list