So, you work out when you can, try to eat a bit on the healthy side, focus your energy on positive thinking and then what? Come home and enjoy a nice, relaxing glass of wine. Fortunately, more and more studies are recognizing the health benefits of moderate wine consumption. Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean completely cutting out your favorite treats.
However, recent research shows that non-alcoholic wine may offer even greater health benefits. It turns out that skipping the alcohol could leave your body feeling even better after every sip. Let’s take a closer look at what those benefits include.
A Heart-Healthy Choice
In recent years, red wine has gained popularity for its heart benefits due to its resveratrol content and high levels of antioxidants, which may help prevent coronary artery disease and reduce the risk of heart attack.
Why red wine in particular? During fermentation, red wine retains grape skins, which are rich in antioxidants. White wine, by contrast, has the skins removed. This makes red wine the more advantageous option when it comes to heart health.
Even the Mayo Clinic supports red wine’s potential to reduce heart disease, cholesterol levels, and stroke risk. But alcohol itself can have adverse effects, limiting those benefits.
Enter: Non-Alcoholic Wine
WebMD cites a University of Barcelona study involving 67 men with diabetes or high heart disease risk. When drinking alcoholic red wine, participants saw slight blood pressure drops. But with non-alcoholic wine, their blood pressure fell enough to reduce heart disease risk by 14% and stroke risk by up to 20%.
Why the improvement? Wine contains powerful antioxidants called polyphenols, which protect against free radicals that contribute to disease. Alcohol, however, may interfere with these benefits. Without alcohol, polyphenols appear to work even better—boosting nitric oxide levels, relaxing blood vessels, and improving circulation.
Key Polyphenols in Red Wine:
- Myricetin
- Kaempferol
- Quercetin
- Catechin
- Epicatechin
- Proanthocyanidins
- Anthocyanins
- Gallic acid
- Caftaric acid
- Caffeic acid
- P-coumaric acid
- Resveratrol
Importantly, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic wines in the study had equal polyphenol content. But without alcohol, the polyphenols had a stronger effect—lowering blood pressure and improving heart function more effectively.
“The non-alcoholic part of the wine—namely polyphenols—exert a protective effect on the cardiovascular system,” said researcher Ramon Estruch, MD, PhD, via the New York Daily News.
Fewer Calories, More Benefits
Non-alcoholic wine also tends to be lower in calories—often containing three times fewer calories than traditional wine. That makes it an appealing option for anyone aiming to live healthier without giving up the ritual of a glass of wine.
Ultimately, non-alcoholic wine offers the same polyphenol-powered benefits of red wine—without the drawbacks of alcohol. It’s a delicious, thoughtful way to support your heart, reduce calorie intake, and live well.