WINE - DOES THE COLOR COUNT

The objective of this study was to determine whether phenolic constitu ents present in red wine and grape juice modulate plasma lipid and lip oprotein concentrations in healthy human subjects. All subjects consum ed in random order 375 ml of red or white wine per day or 500 ml of tw o different grape juices (high and low phenols) per day for periods of 4 weeks separated by 2-week periods of abstention while continuing no rmal activity and food intake, and their normal lives in a community s etting. The subjects were 24 healthy males aged 26-45 years screened b y clinical examination and laboratory tests to exclude hypertension, d iabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and obesity, among others. Fasting bl ood was collected at the beginning and end of each beverage schedule f or analysis of lipids and lipoproteins. Changes in plasma lipids and l ipoproteins in response to each beverage were measured to determine wh ether these were altered by red wine and grape juice phenolics indepen dently of the effects of ethanol. Both grape juices had virtually no e ffect. Red and white wines raised plasma HDL-cholesterol and apo A-I a nd apo A-II concentrations as well as the apo A-I:apo B ratio to a sim ilar extent, Red wine also raised plasma triglyceride and total choles terol concentrations. Neither wine affected plasma apo B or apo (a) co ncentrations. The favourable effects of wines in modulating plasma lip id and lipoprotein concentrations are probably due to their alcohol co ntent and cannot be reproduced by grape juices.