Fruit Wines are Healthier than Grape Wines – ORAC Values

Well, a new year has started and these days there is a lot of planning going on having a better 2009 than what 2008 was, resolutions, health or fitness regimes, etc…

I think a very good and easy to keep resolution would be to start drinking more fruit wine in 2009. There are many reasons for this. The first obvious one is that fruit wine tastes good and is a great alternative to having grape wines all the time. They are fun to make (if you are into winemaking) and they are good on the environment (if you buy locally made fruit wines as opposed to imported wines or make the wines from locally available fruit).

One of the most important reasons to start drinking more fruit wine this year is also because they are very good for your health.

Eating a healthy diet and having an active lifestyle are critical for maintaining good health. Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients essential for a healthy diet and also provide a natural source of energy. In regards to fruit wines, the real health property that sets them apart from grape wines is that they can have a very high ORAC content.

What is ORAC? It stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity and is a method of measuring antioxidant capacities of different foods. It was developed by the scientists at the National Institute on Aging in the USA.

This is too large a subject to discuss in a simple blog entry but drinking wines has been proven to be very good for health, especially the health of the heart, brain functions, etc. Wines with a good source of polyphenol antioxidants such apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, grapes, pears, plums, raspberries, and strawberries provide huge health benefits and should be part of a healthy diet.

Which wine have the highest count of ORAC?

The following wines and their ORAC content shows that wines made with Aronia (Chokeberry) are the healthiest wines to drink. More than 4X that of regular red wine!

The berry listed in order of Antioxidant levels per 100 grams

1. Aronia (15.8K ORAC)

2. Elderberry (14.6K ORAC)

3. Cranberries (9.5K ORAC)

4. Black Currant (8K ORAC)

5. Blueberries (6K ORAC)

6. Blackberries (6K ORAC)

7. Plums (6K ORAC)

8. Glass of Cabernet Sauvignon (5K ORAC)

9. Glass of red table wine or Chianti (3.8K ORAC)

10. Red grape Juice (1.2K)

Aronia (chokeberry) wines are the healthiest wines of all with elderberry wine coming very close behind.

With that in mind, lets raise a glass to our health (just make sure its a glass of fruit wine). Here’s a toast to a great year ahead for fruit wines and all who enjoy them!