Is White Wine Good for You?

When it comes to healthier wine choices, reds tend to get all the hype. But does white wine have any health benefits as well? We know that red wine is packed with antioxidants, helps regulate blood sugar, reduces bad cholesterol and can boost cognitive function. Still, you may be wondering if whites can have similar or different health effects on the body.

Is a glass of white wine good for you? We aim to answer this question in this complete guide to white wine and its potential health benefits. We explore the different vitamins, minerals and other compounds that make up white wine and the positive health effects that help explain why white wine is good for you. We also cover the recommended amounts of white wine to consume and specific varieties that tend to be better for your health. 

Additionally, we compare white wine’s benefits to those of red wines, discuss the importance of choosing dry wines over sweet wines and provide some tips on shopping for these wines. Let’s get started!

Is White Wine Really Good for You?

While alcohol likely isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of healthy foods and beverages, a glass of white wine can be a surprisingly healthy drink option. 

So, why is white wine good for you? It’s full of antioxidants that can help reduce stress hormones and promote feelings of well-being, among many other things. This section looks at some healthy compounds found in white wine.

1. Antioxidants

Is white wine heart healthy? If you’re looking to boost heart strength, a glass of white wine may be able to do just that. The antioxidants in white wine can help protect your heart and lungs, maintain blood sugar, prevent aging, fight off colds and improve brain function. Antioxidant properties may help lower the risk of multiple diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

2. Flavonoids 

White wine contains flavonoids, also known as vitamin P. Flavonoids are commonly found in different vegetables, fruits, tea, cocoa, red and white wines. This chemical is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that help regulate cellular activity. Like antioxidants, flavonoids can also help fight oxidative stress.

3. Polyphenols

Polyphenols are naturally-occurring micronutrients found in plants. These powerful antioxidants can help reverse cell damage caused by aging, lower your cholesterol and risk of diabetes and improve overall heart health. Their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects may even reduce your risk of cancer by destroying active cancer cells and blocking tumor growth.

4. Caffeic Acid

White wine contains caffeic acid, a phenol with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce oxidative stress. Caffeic acid may help prevent the development of kidney and cardiovascular diseases. It’s also known to boost collagen production and help prevent premature aging.

5. Essential Vitamins and Minerals

White wine contains vitamins and minerals that are essential for daily nutrition. It includes small doses of magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin B2, niacin and riboflavin. It also contains traces of iron, potassium, calcium, zinc and phosphorus. In the following sections, we explore the health benefits of some of these vitamins and minerals more in detail.

6. Magnesium

This mineral in white wine plays a pivotal role in maintaining heart health and strength. It can also lower blood sugar and blood pressure, improve muscle and nerve function and boost your mood. Additionally, it can help strengthen your bones.

7. Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6, or pyridoxine, is required to transport oxygen through your bloodstream, develop the brain and maintain strong immune and nervous systems. It also improves blood circulation and your overall mood.

8. Vitamin B2

Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, can help break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It also plays a pivotal role in supplying energy to your body, making it an essential vitamin found in white wine.

9. Vitamin B3

Vitamin B3, or niacin, may help lower cholesterol, relieve arthritis symptoms, improve skin health, boost brain function and more. However, it’s important to avoid consuming large doses at a time, as this can cause side effects such as vomiting, nausea and liver toxicity.

10. Iron

White wine is a good source of iron, an essential mineral for body growth and development. Iron is necessary to produce a protein called hemoglobin that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of the body and myoglobin, which supplies oxygen to your muscles.

11. Calcium

Though calcium is more commonly linked to milk, it’s also present in white wine. This mineral is vital for maintaining strong and healthy bones, and it aids muscle movement by allowing nerves to carry messages between your brain and other parts of your body. Calcium also helps regulate blood flow through your vessels.

12. Potassium

Potassium is commonly associated with foods such as bananas, potatoes, avocado, spinach and squash — but you may be surprised to know that it’s also in white wine. Potassium is a type of electrolyte that improves nerve and muscle function, regulates heartbeat and transports nutrients to cells. It also helps filter waste products out of cells.

13. Phosphorus

Your body uses phosphorus to keep bones and teeth strong and healthy. This essential mineral also repairs damaged tissues, removes waste from the kidneys, makes DNA and RNA and helps your muscles contract.

14. Zinc

Finally, white wine contains zinc, an essential nutrient for improving your immune system and metabolism function. Additionally, it’s known to speed up wound recovery and help treat chronic acne. However, it’s important to avoid it in large doses as this can cause indigestion, headaches and nausea.

What Are the Health Benefits of Drinking White Wine?

Drinking white wine can be healthy and good for you. In this section, we look at some interesting white wine health benefits. After reading this list, you may feel more comfortable when sipping your next glass of Riesling, Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay.

Here are seven health benefits of white wine:

1. Improves cardiovascular and metabolic function: White wine is full of antioxidants, polyphenols, potassium and magnesium that collectively protect and maintain heart health. Additionally, minerals in white wine, such as zinc, can boost metabolic function.
2. Bolsters lung function: Flavonoids found in white wine can reduce inflammation of the airways, which helps protect your lungs.
3. Reduces the risk of kidney disease: White wine contains caffeic acid that may help prevent the progression of kidney diseases and other conditions. Its phosphorus content also helps protect the kidneys by filtering out waste.
4. Protects against cognitive decline: White wine is rich in antioxidants, which are known to help prevent cognitive impairment that often comes with aging.
5. Supports healthy cholesterol levels: Research has shown that both red and white wine lowered “bad” LDL cholesterol levels in multiple study participants.
6. Supports weight-loss efforts: White wine can potentially aid in weight loss due to minerals like zinc that improve metabolic function.
7. Helps prevent other diseases: In addition to helping reduce the risk of kidney and cardiovascular diseases, white wine may also protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

What Amount of White Wine Is Good for You?

White wine can be healthy for you as long as you consume it in small amounts. To achieve these potential health benefits from white wine while consuming it in moderation, the American Heart Association and federal guidelines recommend no more than one or two drinks each day for men and one drink each day for women.

Cooking with white wine may also be a good option for reaping these health benefits. Using wine in cooking can bring out the flavors of various foods and achieve healthy antioxidant-rich dishes. Here are some helpful tips for cooking with wine:

• Choose your wine carefully — only cook with wines you enjoy drinking.
• Use your wine to marinate meats such as steak, chicken and fish.
• Don’t add the wine to your dish right before serving — allow it to cook along with the food to enhance the savory flavors.
• Determine how much wine you add based on the amount and density of the food — with soup, for instance, add 2 tablespoons of wine per 1 cup of broth.

Types of White Wine That Are Good for You

If you’re trying to lose weight or simply want to make your diet healthier, you can select both red and white wine varieties that tend to offer more health benefits than others. This section covers tips for choosing healthy white wines and some specific white wine varieties that tend to be healthier options.

Though you should consume any type of wine in moderation, certain dry varieties with less sugar and alcohol tend to be better for your health. When choosing a healthy wine, you want to consider three main factors:

1. Low alcohol percentage: Drinking too much alcohol can have several negative effects on the body, especially on your brain, heart, liver and pancreas. To consume it in moderation, choose a wine with a lower content of alcohol by volume (ABV). We recommend selecting a wine that does not exceed an ABV of 12.5%.
2. High resveratrol concentration: Resveratrol is a plant compound that acts as an antioxidant — it can help lower blood pressure, protect your brain and relieve joint pain. When seeking healthier wine, try picking one with a higher resveratrol concentration. 
3. Low sugar content: Try to select a wine that contains less sugar, ideally less than 10 grams per liter. Dry white wines such as Chardonnay and Riesling tend to have lower sugar content, making them relatively healthier varieties.

What white wine is good for you? To answer this question, let’s take a look at some white wine varieties that tend to be healthier drink choices:

• Riesling: Grapes used to produce Riesling have skins that are rich in antioxidants. As mentioned earlier, these may help fight off certain chronic diseases. Consider choosing a drier Riesling over a sweet one to lower your sugar intake.
• Pinot Grigio: A glass of crisp Pinot Grigio may be your ideal choice of wine to improve lung health and even protect cells from certain cancers. It’s rich in caffeic acid and tyrosol that act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. 
• Vinho Verde: Vinho Verde typically contains a lower ABV and sugar concentration, making it a healthier option. 
• Chardonnay: Chardonnay provides a buttery and rich flavor and can help increase blood flow, improve bone density, boost good HDL cholesterol and prevent clotting. This potentially reduces the risk of a stroke or heart disease as well.
• Viognier: Though it tends to be a less common grape variety, Viognier is a great white wine option with lower sugar content.

Is Red or White Wine Better For You?

You may know that certain red wines tend to be better for you than others, offering more health benefits compared to other varieties. Can white wine match these red wine benefits? Is one healthier than the other? 

This section compares white and red wine in detail, exploring their health benefits and how your body can react to them differently.

Health Effects of Red Wine

Red white contains many of the same compounds as white wine — antioxidants, flavonoids, polyphenols and more. Therefore, these can offer many of the same or similar health benefits. 

Here are some of the main health benefits that red wine offers:

• Lowers disease risk: Due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, red wine may help prevent the risk of certain diseases, particularly heart disease.
• Increases “good” HDL cholesterol: Consuming red wine may help boost your HDL cholesterol level. This can help rid your bloodstream of LDL cholesterol, reducing the risk of cardiovascular events and diseases.
• Helps prevent cognitive decline: Like white wine, red wine is packed with antioxidants which may help prevent cognitive impairment that slows down the brain.
• Contains resveratrol: Red wine is typically rich in resveratrol, which boosts the wine’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties even more.

Health Effects of White Wine

Next, here’s a recap of the main benefits of white wine for health:

• May aid in weight loss: White wine contains antioxidants such as resveratrol, quercetin and epicatechin that can help promote weight loss. You can reap these potential weight loss benefits by consuming white wine in moderation — no more than one or two glasses per day. 
• Prevents risk for diseases: As mentioned earlier, the antioxidants and flavonoids in white wine may help lower your risk of contracting Alzheimer’s disease and certain cancers.
• Protects your heart: White wine’s antioxidant, polyphenol, magnesium and potassium content can help maintain cardiovascular health and strength, regulating blood sugar and circulation.
• Promotes healthy lungs: Finally, white wine contains iron and antioxidants that can help protect and strengthen your lungs.

While both red and white wine offer an array of potential health benefits for your body, red wine is generally viewed as the healthier option of the two. This is mainly because grape skins are included when fermenting red wine, and white wine does not use grape skins during the fermenting process. And while reds and whites have many of the same vitamins and minerals, red wine typically contains higher amounts of these elements due to the included grape skins.

However, you should always consume any type of wine in moderation. Drinking red or white wine should not be considered a method to improve health. Remember to keep your wine intake to one or two glasses per day to limit alcohol, sugar and calorie consumption.

Sticking With Dry White Wines Over Sweet White Wines

Certain factors that distinguish dry wines from sweet wines may also influence their health effects on the body. Let’s take a look at three of these factors:

1. Fermentation time: The amount of time used to ferment the grape juice can often determine its level of dryness or sweetness. When making dry wine, the fermentation process is longer. For sweet wines, fermentation is shorter.
2. Residual sugar: Residual sugar is the sugar left in wine after fermentation. The more residual sugar and added sugar, the sweeter it tastes. More than 35 grams is generally considered a sweet wine. Dry wines contain lower amounts of sugar, usually below 10 grams. The level between these two is known as “off-dry.”
3. Calories: The number of calories also differentiates dry and sweet wines since more sugar means more calories. While a glass of dry wine contains about 75 calories, a glass of sweet wine has about 125.

Overall, dry white wines tend to be healthier than sweet whites due to their lower sugar and calorie content. For this reason, we recommend selecting drier varieties if you’re seeking healthier wine options. Consuming too much sugar can lead to negative health effects, such as increased blood pressure, inflammation, diabetes, weight gain and liver disease.

Simply drinking a sweet wine isn’t enough to cause these problems, but it’s still something to consider when choosing between a dry and sweet variety. Dry white wine health benefits tend to surpass those of sweet wines.

Where to Find Healthy White Wine

When seeking healthy and quality white wine choices, you may find it rewarding to try out new varieties, brands and companies. You could discover a new favorite wine that you didn’t even know existed.

You don’t have to turn to large, recognized brand names and corporations to find excellent wines. Step out of your comfort zone and try some unfamiliar brands and companies — you might find just the wine you’ve been looking for!

Here are three tips to keep in mind when shopping for healthy white wines:

1. Be adventurous: You may find that turning to new names and brands is the best choice. Because many smaller vineyards don’t have mass production facilities, they often use their own special fermentation practices to make their wines extra delicious and unique. Give these wines a try!
2. Buy from smaller wineries and brands: Because large alcohol corporations have more funding, it’s typically easier for them to sell wines. By shopping for a smaller brand, you can support an individual winemaker or family-owned business with a passion for making excellent wine and spirits.
3. Consult a wine expert: If you need help shopping for wine varieties, aren’t sure where to begin or simply have questions regarding different types of wines, reach out to experts who can answer these questions.

Browse White Wine Options at Marketview Liquor

Now that you’ve learned about the many potential health benefits of drinking white wine, it’s time to search for your ideal white varieties and brands! At Marketview Liquor, our unique white wine choices satisfy any preferred taste or sweetness level. 

Whether you’re looking for a rich Chardonnay, a light and crisp Sauvignon Blanc or a sweet and elegant Moscato, we’ve got it all. Browse our selection of white wines and order yours today!