Does Prosecco have any Health Benefits?

If you enjoy a drop of Prosecco and do so in moderation, then I am sure its wonderful aromas and flavours will give you all the benefits you require! Though, does drinking Prosecco actually have any health benefits over and above what it tastes like and how it makes you feel?

Surprisingly, there are already lots of articles on this exact subject and debates especially from people wanting to know if wine holds any health / medical benefits from helping to give you a healthier heart to improving your skin.

Firstly, we should take a look at Prosecco and run through some basic facts on this ever popular sparkling wine:

• Prosecco is only produced in the northern area of Italy most in and around / north of Venice.
• Approximately 450 million bottles are produced annually.
• You can now purchase Rosé Prosecco (up until 2020 there was only white Prosecco).
• 85% of the wine must be made from the Glera grape to include Rosé Prosecco which requires an additional 10 to 15% to be Pinot Noir.
• Prosecco usually has slightly less alcohol compared to Champagne, 11% to 11.5% compared to 12% to 12.5%.
• Prosecco is made via the tank method (Charmat) which sees both fermentations taking place in the tank (second fermentation in the bottle for Champagne).

Prosecco will generally offer floral and pear / apple aromas along with similar flavours. The wine is light, fresh and fruity.

Does Prosecco have any Health Benefits?

Now that we know Prosecco that little bit more we should set about discussing what health benefits it offers. We mostly get to hear about red wine when we think about wine & health and that it is good for the heart – Though my extensive research online from varied accredited and user generated information websites can have a conflict of opinion.

Example headlines include:

‘Glass of red wine a day keeps diabetes at bay‘ – Royal Society of Chemistry

‘A glass of red wine a day could stave off a heart attack or stroke, scientists say‘ – Mirror.co.uk

‘Extra glass of wine a day could shorten your life by 30 minutes‘ – Recover Alaska

‘Red wine may be good for eye health‘ – Eye Clinic London

‘Red wine may not be good for you after all, doctors reveal‘ – The Independent

‘Red wine increases friendly gut bacteria, boosts immune system‘ – Chris Woollams Health Watch

 

In most articles, it is a positive on wine for health benefits with subjects stretching from stronger hair to improving fertility in men. You will also gather many conflicting bits of information when doing your research where for instance one medical themed website will say wine is good for the heart whereas another will say that wine causes heart problems.

Prosecco contains polyphenols (which translates to plant chemicals holding antioxidant properties) which are said to lower blood pressure and improve your circulation. Another offering in Prosecco is the flavonoids which have antioxidant properties that can help prevent cancer.

Scientists at the University of Reading have shown that the few phenolic compounds found in Prosecco can improve spatial memory, which is responsible for recording information about one’s environment and storing the information for future navigation.

Another topic covered is our skin. Prosecco, once again thanks to the antioxidants, acts to detoxify our skin helping to maintain a more even skin tone to include combating the likes of oily skin.

Antioxidants come into play again when it comes to helping our heart health by improving our blood flow, strengthening blood vessels, protecting against cholesterol build up and preventing clots.

If we include sex in the category for health then Prosecco comes up trumps again in that it holds an important antioxidant character which is said to initiate nitric oxide in our blood which relaxes artery walls – This is said to increase our blood flow down south, creating feelings of sexual excitement.