A study reveals the antioxidant benefits of young wines compared to aged wines. This finding reinforces the many advantages associated with the controlled consumption of wine, which fills us with satisfaction and motivates us to continue working in this area.
To help you learn more about this study, we’ve written this article to provide a deeper understanding of wine as a source of health benefits.
Study reveals the antioxidant benefits of young wines compared to aged wines
The University of La Laguna (ULL) has recently made public a study they conducted on wine, which reveals that young wines have higher antioxidant activity compared to aged wines.
The analysis, which included a total of 250 red wines from various protected designations of origin in the Canary Islands, highlights that certain compounds present in higher proportions in young wines lose part of their antioxidant capacity as they age.
The results of this project have been published in the journal ACS Food Science and Technology, and have been widely praised for their contribution to the knowledge of the chemical composition and properties of wines from the region.
Resveratrol and the benefits of young wines
The results of this same study also show that resveratrol is not directly related to the antioxidant activity of wine. This was previously believed, but now it has been disproven.
Instead, it has been observed that other phenolic compounds, such as catechins and flavonols, do show a significant relationship with the antioxidant capacity of wine. The presence of certain minerals in the wines analysed also contributes to this capacity, adding to the current understanding of how wine behaves in the human body.
Redefining the benefits of aged wines
The analysis of the samples also revealed that, although antioxidant activity decreases with ageing, this process could be the source of other beneficial properties not directly related to the antioxidant capacity of the wine. This is an aspect that encourages further expansion of the study, potentially extending it to other areas such as antitumor or anti-inflammatory activity—properties believed to be found in the phenolic extracts present in wine.
As a result, the researchers are considering continuing to explore these compounds in future phases of the project, in order to better understand the bioactive properties of wine and its potential impact on health.
Drink wine, Drink health
It is important to remember that moderate consumption of red wine has been associated with certain health benefits due to its content of antioxidant compounds. This has been highlighted by many scientists in numerous studies.
However, the identification of the specific components responsible for these effects is still to be fully determined. This is crucial for both the food industry and wine research. This is where the value of this study lies, as it represents an important step in identifying the factors that determine the quality and health properties of wine.
From this study by the University of La Laguna, we now understand this as the result of a complex balance between different elements present in wine. Therefore, future research will likely focus on assessing the effects of the changes that wine undergoes during ageing and/or how the most beneficial properties can be preserved in the final product. This could open up new opportunities for the wine industry and improve the overall quality of wine.
