To your Health with Champagne

When raising a glass of Champagne and toasting ‘Cheers’, the sentiment is generally a way of praising one’s health and well being in a figurative way.

Now, from an article found on Wine Spectator Online, a study is highlighted where according to research done at the University of Reading in England and the Università degli studi di Cagliari, located in Monserrato, Italy, drinking Champagne responsibly may benefit one’s health because previous research has shown the sparkling wine contains high amounts of natural, plant based polyphenols.

Champagne 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 bubbly and shout ‘Cheers’, we can really mean it!  First it was red wine, now Champagne is being touted as a healthy drink. More good news for us oenophiles!

Polyphenols are known antioxidants, which are believed to help prevent cell death due to oxidative stress. Though polyphenols are found in greater abundance in red wines, mainly due to longer exposure to the grape seeds and skins during the winemaking process, past studies have found Champagne to contain high amounts of other types of phenolic compounds, such as tyrosol and caffeic acid. Previous research has shown that moderate amounts of red wine consumption has been shown to slow down premature aging and improve circulation.

In order to test if the polyphenols found in Champagne are similarly beneficial to those in red wines, the scientists prepared extracts from blanc de blancs Champagnes (made with Chardonnay only) and blanc de noir Champagnes (made exclusively from Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier). After confirming that the extracts contained measurable levels of the aforementioned polyphenols, the scientist prepared several samples of cortical neuron cells from mice. The control group was left alone and the others were pretreated with the champagne extract, then scientists simulated a stroke on the cells to see what the reactions would be.

The scientists monitored the way the brain cells reacted to the presence of the peroxynitrite, which is a reactive compound found in the brain during inflammatory conditions, and found that “pretreatment with Champagne wine extracts resulted in significant protection against neurotoxicity.” The blanc de noir extract offered the greater protection because of the red-wine component”, the authors wrote, though they pointed out that the amounts of polyphenols in Champagne vary greatly from “variety, vintage and a wide range of environmental factors.”

The scientists believe the Champagne extracts protected neuron cells in several ways, noting that in the sample with the highest concentration of sparkling wine, brain-cell function was completely restored over time. The researchers added that caffeic acid and tyrosol may help to regulate the cells’ response to injury with their anti-inflammatory properties. The compounds also act as cellular-level mops, essentially cleaning up and removing harmful chemicals from the body.

The scientists also wrote that there is 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’s too early to tell whether drinking Champagne will have beneficial effects on the long term effects of brain aging, as it remains to be seen whether the human brain will simulate the same responses as the brains of mice when exposed to similar circumstances, but scientists are hoping to be able to shed more light on the potential beneficial effects of Champagne on human health in the future.



I just came across a great book called ‘The Healing Power of Champagne’ written by two French doctors and recently translated into English. It studies the claims made for drinking Champagne to cure various ailments over 200 years and the report on recent research in England & Italy merely confirms what our predecessors knew before i.e. that moderate drinking of Champagne can be very beneficial.
You can order the book through the link.