Is natural wine healthier than conventional wine?

You frequently hear people say it, "Oh, natural wine really does give me less of a headache the next day than conventional wine!" But to what extent can this be substantiated, since it is the alcohol that is diuretic? In this article, we take away your doubts about the correctness of this statement.

Is natural wine healthier for you?

It should come as no surprise that natural wine, or wine in which artificial additives are not allowed, is better for you than conventional wine. In fact, many of the additives used in conventional wines are poorly regulated. But, we have to be honest, there are very few studies on the effects of wine on health, and even fewer on the effects of natural wine.

So, what is the scientific basis for the claim that natural wine causes fewer pounding headaches? We know a hangover is the result of dehydration, but what happens in the liver is interesting. Everything you ingest goes to the liver for clearance testing, where enzymes process the substances. Healthy components are released into your bloodstream, while toxins are excreted through urine or bile. And, alcohol (or ethanol specifically) is one such toxin. When we drink, we deplete glutathione, releasing more unprocessed acetaldehyde into the bloodstream. And, this is 10-30 times more toxic than alcohol, leading to headaches and nausea. But, with natural wine, we have less of these toxins, thus less chance of a hangover!

Wines with less sulfite are more easily processed by our liver

Glutathione we describe as our liver's hero that breaks down alcohol. The problem is that this little substance is also sensitive to sulfites, as shown by research from the University of Southampton. This means that natural wine, with its much lower sulfite content, is probably much more easily processed by our liver. Recent research from the University of Rome also supports this idea. In this study, 284 genes were tested before and after drinking two red wines - one without sulfite, the other with 80mg per liter. And, what did they discover? Natural wine consumption reduces the amount of acetaldehyde in the blood, and bad cholesterol levels are also lower when you drink wine without sulfites.

Organically grown grapes contain more antioxidants

A University of California study published in 2003 also confirms that organic fruits and berries contain up to 58 percent more antioxidants than conventionally grown fruits. And, looking at research by Diego Tomasi , grapes grown without synthetic chemicals and without tilling, pruning and defoliating contain significantly more reservatrol (an antioxidant in wine) than their conventional counterparts. So, let's boost our health and choose organic grapes!