Health Benefits of Champagne

Champagne a festive wine was actually the first wine which was made 2,000 years ago, was named after a small town in France. Wines from the champagne region were known from the middle-ages. During those periods wines were either red or white. The first commercial sparkling wine was produced in the Limoux area of Languedoc in the year 1535. Sparkling wines usually come from areas where grapes don't have enough sun to ripe according to other wine standards.

We have all heard about the medical benefits of red and white wine. But recent findings have revealed that champagne has got medical benefits too. When raising a glass of Champagne and toasting ‘Cheers’, the attitude is generally a way of praising one’s health and well being in a figurative way. According to the JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY published in April 2007 revealed that moderate consumption of Champagne as a source behind brain protection. This sparkling wine according to the recent joint study of University of Reading and University of Cagliari may help protect the brain against injuries incurred during a stroke and other ailments, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. So now when we raise a glass of Champagne and shout ‘Cheers’, we can really mean it.

The reason for the Champagne’s ability to cope with the brain according to the researchers lies in the high presence of polyphenols packed within every bottle. Red wine was declared as the healthiest types of wines to drink, because of the highest concentration of polyphenols. Polyphenols are known antioxidants, which are believed to help avoid cell death due to oxidative stress. Previous research found Champagne to contain high amounts of other types of phenolic compounds, such as tyrosol and caffeic acid.

Scientists carried out tests in order to find out if the polyphenols found in Champagne are similarly beneficial to those in red wines. Measurable levels of polyphenols were extracted from Chardonnay and Pinot noir/ Pinot Meunier and several samples of cortical neuron were prepared cells from mice. After separating mice cells into two groups "one that would be let alone and one that would be penetrated with Champagne extracts" the scientists simulated a stroke on the cells and saw the reaction. The scientists monitored how the brain cells reacted to the presence of the peroxynitrite, which is a reactive compound found in the brain during inflammatory conditions. It was found that the pretreatment with Champagne wine extracts resulted in significant protection against neurotoxicity.

The scientists trust that the Champagne extracts protected neuron cells in numerous ways, noting that in the sample with the highest concentration of sparkling wine, brain-cell function was completely restored over time. They also believed that caffeic acid and tyrosol may help to normalize the cells’ response to injury with their anti-inflammatory attributes. The compounds also act as cellular-level mops, essentially cleaning up and removing hazardous chemicals from the body. The researchers also wrote that there was evidence that dietary polyphenols can cross the "blood-brain barrier" which would suggest that the above molecular behavior has the potential to act in the same way, within the human central nervous system, if consumed.

It is too early to tell if consuming Champagne will have benefits for a long time, because the amount of polyphenols in Champagne varies greatly from "variety, vintage and a wide range of environmental factors". But scientists are hoping to be able to shed more light on the potential beneficial effects of Champagne on human health and life span, with a specific interest on its influence over aging.

But, as more and more research is performed, Champagne has a chance to turn over a new leaf in medical science in the future. This life preserve task may be one, Champagne takes on a new, but it’s one we hope goes to its and our heads, for the sustainability of humanity. With the associates of the health community raising its rank, Champagne is our new champion. So, as it puts a cork in brain injury, we intend you have a toast to the Dom Perignons, the Veuve Clicquots, and the Louis Roederers of the world. Fill your glass with the sparkling wine and ease your mind, "Cheers".