You must be very well aware of red wine and everything it provides, whether you consume it or not. But not many know about red wine extracts and red wine vinegar. Little do people know that red wine vinegar has almost all the benefits of red wine, minus the alcohol and sugars. This makes red wine vinegar nutrition and health benefits far better than those provided by red wine.
Red wine often a symbol of glass and grace has been a favorite of many. Some use it to maintain their image, some like the tinge of it, and some use it for their health. Surprising, right? It hasn’t been long that people have realized all the health befits of red wine. All thanks to the famous singer Adele. She made people love red wine even more than they used to. But some people can not consume red wine. Are there any alternatives for it?
The simple answer is Yes! Red wine vinegar can be a good alternative to red wine. Before reaching a final verdict, we will have to weigh all the pros and cons of red wine vinegar. So, let’s get to it.
Not Many Can Drink Red Wine
A lot of you must be fond of red wine but many of you can not consume it. Religions like Islam do not allow to consume any form of alcohol. Similarly, many medical conditions like alcoholic liver disease can stop you from even touching alcohol. Such people often come to terms with their lack of relationship with wine. But for people that have had a taste of it find it far more difficult to leave it. So, let’s talk about such people.
Red Wine For Pregnant Ladies
If you are pregnant or even get a pregnancy scare, leaving all forms of alcohol should be your first step. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you should avoid alcohol even if you are trying to get pregnant. (1)
Keep in mind that the alcohol you consume during pregnancy enters the baby’s bloodstream and they are not able to get rid of it like you. This alcohol can harm their organs and impair their growth. This will eventually show its effects on the baby’s physical development and behavior in later life. A study conducted in 2017 shows that 1 in every 13 women who consumed some sort of alcohol during their pregnancy had a baby with some kind of FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder). (2)
Red Wine Vinegar To The Rescue
For all such people who are deprived of the heavenly taste of red wine have an option that is not only Halal but carries almost the same nutrition as red wine, minus the extra sugar and alcohol. Red wine vinegar can be consumed by anybody without the fear of it causing any health complications.
Red Wine Vinegar Nutrition
Red wine vinegar nutrition varies starkly from red wine nutrition. The main reason behind it is the small quantity it is consumed in and the lack of sugar in it. Obviously, the benefits of every edible thing depend upon its nutrition. So why not learn the red wine vinegar nutrition before diving deep into its benefits? 1oo grams of red wine vinegar contain only 6 calories. With zero, protein, fat, and carbohydrates. But it does contain micronutrients like sodium and potassium, that too in little quantities.
Red wine vinegar nutrition might not contain a lot of macro and micronutrients, making it really good for you to add into anything and consume as much as you want. You don’t have to worry about taking any extra calories and gain weight.
Health Benefits of Red Wine Vinegar
It is quite evident that red wine vinegar nutrition does not play a huge role in determining its health benefits. So, there has to be some other elements in it that give this vinegar its signature health benefits. Let’s dig a little deeper to find out these hidden treasures.
1. Can Reduce Your Blood Sugar
Various studies carried out on adults show that the daily consumption of red wine vinegar can control your blood sugar levels. It also prevents sugar spikes and can increase insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes. This sugar-reducing property of red wine vinegar is due to the high amount of acetic acid present in it.
One study, in particular, shows that drinking 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar after a sugar/carbohydrate-rich meal can lower your blood glucose level by 64%. As a layman, all you need to know is that this is a drastic difference and can change your life if you are diabetic or insulin resistant. It does so by slowing digestion and allowing the body cells to absorb the sugar properly. (3)
Red wine vinegar can directly affect the glycemic index of your food. Lower the glycemic index of food lowers the rise in blood sugar level. Taking low glycemic index food is the key to controlling your blood sugar level. Now, you can do so by simply taking some red wine vinegar. (4)
Similarly, taking two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bed can reduce your fasting blood sugar levels by 6%. If you are diabetic and use insulin and diabetes medication, you must be familiar with unusual low sugar periods. Well, you can avoid them by just consuming red wine vinegar each night. This shows that vinegar of any sort shows a positive effect on your blood sugar levels. (5)
2. Can Protect Your Skin
Skin being the largest organ of your body requires your attention and love. Not everybody has the time and budget to apply hundred-dollar cream each night. For all such people, I have a solution i.e., GOOD DIET. Although diet alone cannot do much for your skin, it can be a good start.
Your good diet can give some space to red wine vinegar too. As it boasts antioxidant properties, red wine vinegar can remove all the toxins from your body. The antioxidants fight bacterial infections and skin damage, giving it the glow, it direly needs.
The effect of red wine vinegar depends upon the type of wine used to make it. The best one is Cabernet Sauvignon as it provides up to 20 anthocyanin compounds. These compounds are of primary importance in maintaining good skin health. These compounds provide fruits their signature blue, green, and red color. (6)
Apart from making your skin look beautiful, red wine vinegar contains compounds that can prevent skin cancer. A test-tube study found that resveratrol killed skin cancer cells and significantly slowed new cancer cell growth. Resveratrol is yet another strong antioxidant found in red wine vinegar. (7)
Moreover, the acetic acid in this vinegar is not only important for preventing blood sugar spikes, but it can also fight bacterial infections. It has been used for thousands of years to fight infection in the chest, urinary tract, and blood. Your infection-free insides will show their effect on the outside too.
3. Can Aid Weight Loss
Yet another benefit that red wine vinegar owes to the acetic acid in it. It reduces appetite, increases fat burning, and reduces fat storage. A study shows that acetic acids prolong digestion. It keeps the food in your stomach for a long. This reduces the release of the hunger-inducing hormone called ghrelin. (8)
A small study showed that people who consumed red wine vinegar with a rich breakfast reported more fullness than people who consumed low acetic acid vinegar. This eventually leads to less food consumption and weight loss. In this regard, red wine vinegar is a better option than red wine, as it contains minimal calories and sugar. On the contrary, red wine is loaded with sugars which can lead to drastic weight gain. (9)
4. Can Improve Heart Health
If you aren’t convinced already here is another major benefit of red wine vinegar. It can protect your heart from disease and failure.
Think of all the factors that lead to heart disease. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, lack of antioxidants, and presence of inflammation, right? Well, red wine and red wine vinegar can control all of these factors. In this regard, red wine is better than its vinegar because it contains far more antioxidants than vinegar. (10)
Resveratrol and other polyphenols present in red wine vinegar relax your blood vessels. They also increase the amount of calcium in your blood cells. Both of these help in lowering overall blood pressure which in turn shows a protective effect on your heart. (11)
Studies show that acetic acid can have the same effect as resveratrol. This too can lower blood pressure by increasing the calcium absorption by the cells. It also manages various blood pressure controlling hormones. Both acetic acid resveratrol can lower triglycerides and cholesterol. This alone can protect your heart from various risks. (12)
How To Make Red Wine Vinegar?
Now that you have understood the health benefits of red wine vinegar you must be eager to prepare it. Vinegar is made by fermenting carbohydrate sources into alcohol. Acetobacter bacteria then convert the alcohol into acetic acid, which gives the vinegar its strong aroma.
All you need is a starter, water, and red wine itself. Add the mother or the stater substance in the wine and let nature do its job. The starter will work with oxygen to turn the wine into vinegar through alcohol fermentation. Let the vinegar age a little. This will dilute its flavor and make it more acceptable.
Red Wine Vinegar Shelf Life
There is no denying that vinegar ages as it gets older but vinegar has a shelf life too. As long as you store your vinegar in a glass bottle tightly closed, your vinegar will stay good for almost an indefinite period of time. Vinegar itself has a strong bacteria-killing effect, making it fit for consumption for long. (13)
If you open your vinegar or by any means let oxygen enter it, your vinegar might go bad. It can change its color and turn into a dark brown shade. It can also show off a cloudy appearance and boast a change in taste. So, if you have opened your vinegar it is better to keep it in your fridge. The normal shelf life of vinegar in the fridge will be 8 months as compared to 4 months if stored in the heat.
The Bottom Line
Red wine vinegar can provide you innumerable benefits. You don’t have to compromise your beliefs in order to get some benefits of red wine. You can get most of those benefits through red wine vinegar too.
If compared, red wine has more antioxidants than red wine vinegar making it a better fighter against disease, but vinegar has more acetic acid than red wine, making it better for skin, inflammations, and infections.
When it comes to nutrition, red wine vinegar nutrition is basically nonexistent. On the contrary, red wine boasts a high number of calories and sugar. This for some people like weight gain seekers can be good, but generally extra calories are considered a bad trait. So, in this domain too, red wine vinegar sweeps red wine out.
In short, you can consume red wine in moderate quantities, if you allow yourself to do so. But if not, you can get almost the same health benefits from red wine vinegar. Moreover, red wine vinegar can be added to anything, from salad dressing to beef marination. So, you can easily make it a part of your life.
