ABSTRACT
Two distinct phenol groups occur in wines, the flavonoids and the non-flavonoids. The potential health benefits of red wines arose from the proposed “French Paradox,” which drew attention to the relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease mortality in French people who habitually eat a diet high in saturated fat but who also regularly consume red wine. More selectively, wine phenols can, at least ex vivo, modulate the synthesis and the release of nitric oxide by vascular endothelium. The most universal property of wine polyphenols relates to their function as antioxidants, manifested by their ability to trap free radicals and inhibit their enzymatic generation and to block the oxidation of membrane lipids and low-density lipoprotein, demonstrated in vitro as well as in vivo. The health benefits associated with the consumption of wine flavonoids and resveratrol may be attributed to a possible synergism between their antioxidant and phytoestrogenic actions.
