The wine diet book explains healthy wine drinking

A wine diet might sound like an oxymoron but a new book, published this week, argues the case for drinking moderate amounts of red wine every day as part of a healthy lifestyle. The Wine Diet has been writtten by Roger Corder, who is a cardiovascular expert and Professor of Experimental Therapeutics at the William Harvey Research Institute in London. ‘Wine drinkers are generally healthier and often live longer,’ Professor Corder says in his book and the reason for this, according to his research, is that procyanidins in red wine are good for us. These are a type of polyphenal, which are the main contributors to the colour and taste of red wine, but they are also found in foods such as cranberries and chocolate. Professor Corder explained to ThirtyFifty that some wines are more beneficial than others – basically, the richer they are in these molecules, the better. This depends not only on the grape variety but also the winemaking technique. Traditionally made wines that have a long fermentation and maceration, with a tannic style initially, tend to be the most abundant sources. ‘The best example is Madiran in South West France,’ said Professor Corder, ‘because universally people are using traditional methods with the Tannat grape variety.’ However, he added that, for a healthy lifestyle one should always have wine with food and also have a strategy that looks at the detail of what you are eating to make sure you get all the necessary nutrients. So come January 1st, when the excesses of Christmas are still on your mind and your waistline, you can still reach for a glass of red as part of your New Year healthy lifestyle plan. ‘It can be a fun way of living,’ said Professor Corder. (The Wine Diet is published by Little Brown, priced £9.99.)