Comments from Website author: This article compares the amount of antioxidant activity between red and white wine, and vitamin C. Red wine's effect was significantly higher than white: not surprisingly -- scientists have long known that there is antioxidant activity in the skins and seeds of red wine grapes (vs. white). Approximately one glass of red wine was almost equal to a gram (1,000 mg) of vitamin C, although the effect was not as long lasting. Bear in mind as you read through these articles that (as a comparison) Pycnogenol is known to be 20 times stronger than vitamin C and 50 times stronger than vitamin E (although none of those substances are mutually exclusive of the others, in terms of bodily need.)
Comments from Physicians at this article's end: None

Clin Chem Vol. 41 no. 1 pp. 32-5

Medline®

DATE: 1995 Jan

Abstract

Aerobic metabolism in biological systems produces reactive oxygen species, and defense against such prooxidants requires antioxidant activity, e.g., predominantly vitamins C and E in serum. Recently, flavonoids (polyphenols occurring widely in plants) have been investigated in vitro for their antioxidant activity; whether they are absorbed after ingestion is not clear. Using a chemiluminescent assay of serum antioxidant capacity (SAOC), we have studied the effects in normal individuals of ingesting red wine, white wine, and high doses of vitamin C. In nine subjects who ingested 300 mL of red wine, the mean SAOC was increased by 18% after 1 h and by 11% at 2 h. The same amount of white wine produced 4% and 7% increases, respectively. The ingestion of 1000 mg (5.7 mmol) of ascorbic acid by four subjects increased their mean SAOC by 22% at 1 h and by 29% at 2 h. An in vitro comparison of red wine, white wine, and various fruit juices showed the high antioxidant capacity of red wine in addition to its ability to increase the antioxidant capacity of serum in vivo. The antioxidant effects of various flavonoids and other polyphenols were also studied.

Whitehead TP Robinson D Allaway S Syms J Hale A

Language: Eng

Primary Author's Address: Department of Pathology, University of Birmingham, UK.

Comments: Comment in: Clin Chem 1995 Jan;41(1):14-6

Country: UNITED STATES

MeSH Headings: Adult Antioxidants/*/pharmacology Ascorbic Acid/blood/pharmacology Beverages Chemiluminescence Female Flavones/pharmacology Fruit Human Male Middle Age Phenols/pharmacology Polymers/pharmacology Vitamin E/blood Wine/*

Medlars UID 95112414