Why you should drink this wine to improve your skin

Researchers from the University of Florida have discovered that a particular type of wine can help to improve the elasticity and moisture retention of ageing skin.

The team, led by Dr. Lindsey Christman, experimented on 15 women between the ages of 40 and 67, over almost four months. The participants were given two glasses a day of either a placebo beverage or a de-alcholised wine made from Muscadine for six weeks, they would then have a three week break and switch drinks and continue for a further six weeks.

Muscadine is a black/bronze grape variety native to North America that is produced by Vitis rotundifolia vines, as opposed to Vitis vinifera, which produces the vast majority of the well-known varieties used in winemaking. Wines made with it tend to have a lot of ripe tropical and stone fruit aromas.

Beyond the flavour, its potential as a ‘superfood’ has been noticed before. Another study from Christman tested the drink on mice and showed that de-alcoholised Muscadine wine had “partial preventive and therapeutic effects against inflammatory bowel disease”.

In this particular experiment, it was found that the participants’ skin elasticity improved, as did its moisture, but that the wine did not cause a notable reduction in wrinkles.

Speaking to Medical News Today, Christman said: “Polyphenols in de-alcoholised Muscadine wine, such as ellagic acid, anthocyanins, quercetin, and myricetin, [may] decrease UVB-induced protease activation. These proteases are responsible for the loss in elasticity — and increase in sagging — often seen with ageing.”

Explaining why a non-alcoholic wine was used, Christman said: “These results cannot be extended to wine with alcohol, as alcohol adds a new variable and may alter the results. In addition, the dealcoholisation process may have altered the overall chemical make-up of the wine. For this reason, the results can also not be extrapolated to juice either.”

“However,” Christman added, “this study does suggest that muscadine wine polyphenols have potential to improve skin conditions, so there may be a chance of the same results [with an alcoholic wine].”

Polyphenols in wine can have a number of positive health effects when the beverage is consumed in moderation – including improving sexual health in men and women.