In his new book "The Red Wine Diet". UK researcher Roger Corder makes an interesting case for a diet high in procyanidins, one of the phenols found in red wine, and in chocolate, apples, cinnamon and other plant sources. Oddly enough, these procyanidins seem to be produced by plants in their skins and seeds for protection from rot and insects. Corder makes a convincing case that wine procyanidins are the solution to the "French Paradox" rather than resveratrol, and their benefits to the human circulatory system have also been identified in certain red wine drinking populations in Sardinia, Crete, and Sicily, as well as Southern France. Other confirming evidence comes from the Kuna natives of Panama who drink large quantities of cocoa containing a similar dose of procyanidins, and who achieve the same beneficial health effects.
Corder rates wine by * to ***** in order of their procyanidin content, with the highest ratings going to tannic and acidic wines such as the tannat based wines of the Madiran region of France (120+ mg/4 oz glass). These wines tend to be the kind you want to drink with food. He suggests that two glasses of these highest rated wines give you 250-500mg of procyanidins, his recommended dose per day for optimum health benefits. Since the procyanidins come from the grape skin and seeds, and they deteriorate over time, the highest concentrations are found in young wines fermented for weeks in contact with the skins and seeds. As a general rule he found higher levels in cabernet sauvignon.
Corder also rates various foods in terms of a medium 4 oz glass of high procyanidin wine (~60 mg). For instance:
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder (non alkali processed) 1 Tsp cinnamon powder 1 apple, especially tart ones like granny smith 1/2 cup raspberries 1.5 oz walnutsAll the above foods rate equivalent to Corder's (60 mg procyanidin) good glass of wine, so the five of them together would give you about 300 mg, his recommended daily dose. Note that the USDA estimates the typical USA consumption of procyanidins as less than 50 mg, mainly from chocolate and apples.
I found the book very persuasive and have modified my food and wine selections as suggested. But I am wondering if many folks would be convinced by these scientific arguments to significantly change their taste in wines. Corder suggests that his arguments will be persuasive enough so that wine labels will someday include procyanidin contents. This would be very helpful since Corder's list of wine procyanidin levels is limited.
Dave Bailey's Crossroads, VA