Health

  • Exploring Plant-Based Alternatives to Sulphur Dioxide in Winemaking

    Exploring Plant-Based Alternatives to Sulphur Dioxide in Winemaking

    Winemaking has long relied on sulphur dioxide (SO₂) for its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, ensuring the stability and quality of wines. However, slight concerns about its health impacts and allergenic potential have prompted the search for natural alternatives. Recent research highlights the potential of a plant-based tannin blend (referred to as SDR) as a substitute…

  • European Wine Industry Unites to Combat Anti-Alcohol Movement

    European Wine Industry Unites to Combat Anti-Alcohol Movement

    The VITÆVINO Declaration is a newly launched initiative by major European wine organisations to combat the growing anti-alcohol movement, which has negatively impacted wine sales and wine culture. The declaration, signed on 1 October 2023, aims to defend European wine culture by highlighting four key points: preserving wine heritage, its economic role in rural areas,…

  • Label Design Influence on Consumer Attitudes Toward Organic Wine

    Label Design Influence on Consumer Attitudes Toward Organic Wine

    New research ‘healthy = (un)tasty’ intuition concerning colour in organic wine labels explores how the colour of organic wine labels influences consumer perceptions, focusing on the associations with healthiness, tastiness and purchase intentions. The research investigates the effects of red versus green labels on these consumer attitudes. The study confirms that organic labels generally create…

  • By-product of Winemaking Shows Promise in Treating Diabetic Eye Disease

    By-product of Winemaking Shows Promise in Treating Diabetic Eye Disease

    There’s new research that highlights the potential of using grape pomace, a byproduct of winemaking, as a source of beneficial compounds for eye health. The study examined the effectiveness of a nutraceutical formulation called Maltodextrinated Grape Pomace Extract (MaGPE) in treating diabetic retinopathy, a common complication of diabetes that can lead to blindness. The study…

  • Risks and Benefits of Drinking for Older Adults

    Risks and Benefits of Drinking for Older Adults

    A new study looks into the belief that light to moderate drinking, particularly of wine, offers health benefits for older adults. The research, involving over 135,000 participants aged 60 and above from the UK, reveals that alcohol’s impact varies based on an individual’s existing health conditions and socioeconomic status. For those with pre-existing health issues…

  • Wine and Health

    Wine and Health

    Recent declines in wine consumption have been linked to growing public health concerns, particularly those raised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) who have increasingly voiced concerns about alcohol consumption, culminating in a statement declaring that there is “no safe level” of alcohol consumption. This message reflects the influence of public health campaigns and some…

  • The Paradoxes of Dealcoholised Wine Production

    The Paradoxes of Dealcoholised Wine Production

    In the DrinksBusiness, an anonymous wine producer criticises the growing trend of dealcoholised wines, arguing that the process is energy-intensive, costly, and significantly alters the wine’s original qualities, resulting in a product that lacks flavour and structure. The producer contends that the necessary additives to recreate the wine’s taste and stability are unnatural and environmentally…

  • New Research Adds to the Story of Wine and Health

    New Research Adds to the Story of Wine and Health

    Up to recently, there has been an intriguing relationship between culture, diet and health outcomes, particularly focusing on the Mediterranean diet and the historic and cultural significance of wine. The concept of the French Paradox played a central role in this narrative, highlighting the seemingly contradictory observation that the French population enjoys a lower incidence…

  • Heightened Alcohol Sensitivity After COVID-19 Recovery

    Heightened Alcohol Sensitivity After COVID-19 Recovery

    There’s new research that looks into alcohol sensitivity experienced by individuals after recovering from COVID-19, known as Post-acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). It presents case series of patients who, after contracting COVID-19, began experiencing adverse reactions to alcohol that they hadn’t faced before, such as severe hangover symptoms from small amounts of alcohol. This suggests…

  • Reducing Wine Consumption Through Serving Size

    Reducing Wine Consumption Through Serving Size

    New research titled ‘Impact on wine sales of removing the largest serving size by the glass‘, published in PLOS Medicine, explores the effect of reducing wine serving sizes on wine sales. The study, conducted across 21 licensed premises in England, used an A-B-A method to compare wine sales during periods with and without the availability…

  • Wine and Eggs Diet Ineffective

    Wine and Eggs Diet Ineffective

    The ‘wine and eggs’ diet has recently been highlighted as the most ineffective diet in a survey of 2,000 British dieters. This diet, which made a comeback on social media after originally appearing in Vogue magazine, suggests a daily intake of three to five eggs and a bottle of wine. It scored a 50 percent…

  • Young Britons Lead the Surge in Low and No Alcohol Drinks

    Young Britons Lead the Surge in Low and No Alcohol Drinks

    Harpers is reporting revealing insight into the changing habits of UK drinkers. The latest YouGov poll, conducted in partnership with the Portman Group, has highlighted a significant shift towards low and no alcohol beverages, particularly among the younger generation. The survey, now in its sixth year, shows that nearly half of the 18-24 age group,…