Is Non-Alcoholic Wine Healthy?
Tackling the question of ‘is non-alcoholic wine healthy’ is always easier in hindsight.
Once we have a bad hangover or two, we suddenly come to agree that alcohol-free beverages are better for our overall health.
Wine has been championed as the healthiest among commercially available spirits. So, it brings in the question of whether non-alcoholic wine is healthier than regular wine.
Simply put, non-alcoholic wine improves your health, particularly by protecting you from cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, the absence of alcohol means your liver avoids any damage that comes with processing alcohol. Your risk of hypertension, obesity and other diseases also significantly lowers when opting for a non-alcoholic wine.
The Giesen Sauvignon Blanc is my go to ‘healthy’ non-alcoholic wine.
(Read the review or find a bottle here)
Clearly, alcohol is the missing ingredient that makes non-alcoholic wine better than regular wine – health-wise. However, it also seems to be the same component that makes people turn it down.
Nonetheless, despite the little punch that alcohol-free wine has, the nutritional advantages and positive health impact are something you wouldn’t want to trade.
Still, do the health benefits outweigh the lack of flavorful sting when it comes to non-alcoholic wine?
Read on and find out.
De La Tautila Tempranillo Nutritional Information (Read the review here)
Is It Healthy To Drink Non-Alcoholic Wine?
Yes, non-alcoholic wine is regarded as healthier compared to its alcoholic counterpart. It rarely surprises anyone as the adverse effects of booze have already been established in many studies.
In a study from the University of Toronto, health risks linked to alcohol use and alcoholism were reviewed and enumerated. The results have identified 30 health conditions aggravated or caused by alcohol consumption.
On top of that is alcohol addiction that poses both physical and mental threats.
These detrimental impacts of drinking alcohol led to people switching to non-alcoholic alternatives.
In the case of wine, despite the suggestion that red wine and other sorts can positively affect your health, it has been made clear that non-alcoholic wine can do better.
Is Non-Alcoholic Wine Healthier Than Other Alcoholic Drinks?
Researchers from the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona conducted clinical trials wherein 67 men consumed red wine, non-alcoholic wine, or gin.
In four weeks, those who drank non-alcoholic wine significantly lowered their blood pressure and risks for cardiovascular disease by 14% and stroke by 20%.
On the other hand, these effects were not observed with those consuming red wine.
Studies like this led us to uncover the health benefits of non-alcoholic wine that everyone should know.
Win.e Verdejo Nutritional Information
(I wrote a review on it so read it here)
What Are the Health Benefits of Non-Alcoholic Wine?
The absence of alcohol boosted the benefits of non-alcoholic wine.
While red wine in moderation has been said to improve cardiovascular health, the benefits of non-alcoholic wine are even more impressive.
1. It Has Fewer Calories Than Regular Wine
Most people go for non-alcoholic wine because it helps with weight loss.
Alcoholic wine has an average of 70 to more than 100 calories per 100 ml. On the other hand, a non-alcoholic wine only has about 15 to 30 calories within 100 ml of its serving.
This low-caloric attribute reduces the risk for type 2 diabetes and obesity. Additionally, it prevents the accumulation of fats that lead to other diseases like stroke and hypertension.
Furthermore, since non-alcoholic wine has fewer calories, it works best with those trying to lose weight or readjust their diet.
It also suits those who have been diagnosed with metabolic disorders like hypothyroidism. First, of course, with the approval of their doctor.
Read the recent post on sugar in non-alcoholic wine vs alcoholic wine I wrote.
2. It Lowers Blood Pressure
High blood pressure leads to life-threatening disorders like stroke. But, at the same time, it is an indicator of other underlying medical conditions.
Consumption of alcohol elevates blood pressure increases the risk for hypertension to 16%.
On the other hand, non-alcoholic wine prevents you from the risks of high blood pressure and significantly reduces the condition.
Without alcohol as part of its composition, non-alcoholic wine does not induce bodily responses such as increased blood pressure.
3. It Reduces the Risk for Heart Disease
A lot has been said about how red wine can lower the risk of heart disease, this has seen alcohol free drinks grow in populatirty more recently and in a way that is gathering steam!
Scientific literature has supported this claim, explicitly pointing out that drinking red wine in moderation can help in the prevention of coronary artery disease.
Antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols protect the lining of the arteries from plaques or cholesterol buildup.
Nevertheless, recent studies revealed that despite an abundance of polyphenols in red wine, it can still be counterproductive due to alcohol.
In short, the detrimental effects can still outweigh the cardiovascular health benefits.
These antioxidants retain their number with alcohol-free wine and provide the same effects to the blood vessel lining without unintended damages.
A study by Dr. Rudolph Schutte from the Anglia Ruskin University highlighted the benefits of wine and non-alcoholic wine in reducing the risk for heart disease.
But it also pointed out how even low levels of alcohol consumption bring with it health challenges.
Therefore, if you have a family history of heart disease or a lifestyle to match the risks, drinking non-alcoholic wine is the way to go.
Read the review on the Newblood Shiraz I wrote!
4. It Supports Good Immune System Function
The presence of antioxidants makes wine a suitable choice of beverage for all occasions.
Antioxidants are known to boost your immune system as well as fight off cellular mutations in the body. Wines, in particular, contain the antioxidant resveratrol, which is rich in grape skins.
However, alcohol is pretty established as a carcinogen. As a result it goes quite a way to reduce, and in most cases totally reverse, the effects of antioxidants.
But if you eliminate alcohol from wine, making it non-alcoholic, the health benefits are retained, and the potential risks to your immune system are taken out of the equation.
This is why non-alcoholic wine can help promote the healthy function of your body and help you be a better you on the inside!
5. It Lowers the Risk of Chronic Inflammation
Our old friend inflammation. We all know it from that bumped head, dinged shin and ‘i’m not sure if it’s broken’ toe!
When certain parts of your body are inflamed, it means things aren’t quite functioning as they should be, it is your body’s way of sending in the metaphorical troops.
Inflammation hitches a rise on those metaphorical tiny cell-based troops and is a natural response of the immune system to protect you from foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria.
However, chronic inflammation can do more damage than good as the tissues sustain a greater amount of damage.
As someone who often suffers from chronic inflammation (and has a family history of it), I was pleased to hear that this condition can be reduced through polyphenols found in non-alcoholic wine.
As mentioned, wine, in general, is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols which contribute to its rich set of health benefits.
So if you are able to remove the alcohol, keep all the good stuff from the anti-oxidants, then it is all upside and fingers crossed the improved positive effects of lower inflammation are felt!
Plus and Minus are one of the brands with added Grape Seed Extract and boosted antioxidants.
(Read the brand profile here)
Can Alcohol-Free Wine Be Bad for You?
Previous and recent studies have not presented any adverse health impact of non-alcoholic wine.
Therefore, it is generally known that alcohol-free wine cannot be bad for your overall health – or at least not as bad as alcoholic drinks.
Although the research has yet to be conducted, the general view to which there is largely a consensus around is that traditional and regular wine is bigger, brighter and more developed than non-alcoholic wine.
This is in particular based on the taste brought by alcohol to the drink, which is removed from non-alcoholic wine.
Summary
As a social drink, regular red or white wine is still widely preferred due to its texture, aromas, and dynamic effects on the taste buds.
However, with the intensity and prevalence of health challenges and the benefits of removing alcohol from your diet has seen more and more individuals switch to non-alcoholic wine and beverages.
Furthermore, creators and winemakers are well on their way to enhancing their non-alcoholic wine in terms of flavour and other attributes making it more appealing to the public.
The next time you want to try a non-alcoholic wine, don’t hesitate. You won’t regret the spectrum of health benefits it contains.
