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It's easy to get answers about health and nutrition! Just send your question by email to [email protected] and Dr. Harlan will respond to selected questions of general interest. Answers will be posted in the Ask Dr. Gourmet newsletter (sign up now!) and archived in the Ask Dr. Gourmet section of the website.

Please note that the Ask Dr. Gourmet feature is restricted to questions regarding food and nutrition. Due to the many questions we receive, not all questions may be answered. For more specific questions about your individual health, please contact your doctor. About Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy


 

Ask Dr. Gourmet

Is drinking grape juice as good for you as drinking red wine?

Is there a substitute for red wine? Perhaps grape juice made from grapes rather than concentrate? I do not drink alcohol at all and would not do so even for the benefits of red wine.

Dr. Gourmet Says...

purple grapes on the vine at a winery

There is good evidence that drinking grape juice has many of the same benefits as drinking red wine. The antioxidant polyphenols in red grape juice have been shown to have positive effects on cholesterol in the same way as red wine. While much of the research that has been done is in the test tube, and there are not large scale trials in humans to support this yet, we do know the action of the red grape juice acts very much like red wine.

While we know that there are some benefits from drinking alcohol, it appears that for those not wanting to consume alcohol, drinking red grape juice is a fine alternative.

Interestingly, most of the research that has been done on red grape juice has been done with juice concentrate, so it's not necessary to drink only fresh juice. Likewise, since there are a lot of the antioxidants in the skin of fresh grapes, eating red grapes would be a good choice for you as well.

Thanks for writing,

Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP
Dr. Gourmet