It’s that one special day of the year when anyone and everyone either drinks, or would like to drink, champagne: “Happy New Year!” Yes, it has become rather expensive over the years and it’s difficult to justify the cost for anything but very special—or once a year—events.
Champagne is produced only in the region east of Paris and is made from a mixture of grapes: chardonnay (85%), Pinot noir (10%) and Pinot meuniere (5%) but there are variations, such as blanc de blanc (white grapes only) or blanc de noir (only red grapes). A lot of people substitute Italian prosecco or Spanish cava, largely because they are cheaper but it’s not the same. Champagne has very special properties, as we will see.
I’ve reported a number of times for my readers that in 1985 (OMG, 40 years ago!) I was interviewed on British television about the health benefits of Champagne (Viv and I are quite wanton and we glug lots of the stuff).
I lost the VHS tape years ago but did a later YouTube video short, which you can see here:
Champagne (real French Champagne) contains some very powerful anti-oxidants, notably tyrosol, which is reckoned to be about 10 times more powerful than the anti-oxidant power of blueberries!
It may even have anticancer properties. It’s not widely known but Johanna Budwig, in her marvelous anti-cancer diet protocol, recommends 2 glasses a day!
But is there science? Yes, particularly about heart health and your arteries. We all know, or suppose, that red wine is good for the heart, which may be due to its content of flavonoids and polyphenols which can improve endothelial viability, increase endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilatation and inhibition of endothelin-1, a peptide which constricts blood vessels.
As of 2010, there was nothing on champagne (just me!) Then in 2010 a study looked specifically into the effect of 2 glasses of champagne on endothelial health (endothelium: the lining inside your arteries which protects you from dangerous clots). What they found was very interesting.
In order to assess whether acute (downing it quick) but moderate Champagne wine consumption is capable of modulating vascular function, researchers performed a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over intervention trial, comparing the consumption of Champagne wine to an alcohol, carbohydrate and fruit-derived acid drink.
15 healthy subjects were chosen. Individuals with diabetes mellitus, any form of liver or gastrointestinal disorder, high blood pressure (>150/90 mm/Hg), anemia, gall bladder problems, present illness, or those taking dietary supplements, consuming caffeine or aspirin, vigorous exercise (more than three times × 20 min per week), or alcohol consumption more than 120 g (women) and 168 g (men) per week were excluded from the study, along with pregnant or lactating females.
Even with those restrictions I bet they didn’t have any difficulty recruiting plenty of volunteers! The lucky participants got to drink half a bottle (375 mls.) of Champagne or the adjusted equivalent alcohol drink, minus the beneficial polyphenols. The Champagne wine used in the study contained no vitamin C (the champagne was not identified).
The ensuing investigation included blood, doppler (blood flow) and urine measurements for the complex metabolites of polyphenols (hippuric acid, protocatechuic acid, isoferulic acid, homovanillic acid, homovanillyl alcohol and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, if you are interested). They also tested for the presence of MMP (matrix metalloproteinase, a measure of tissue metabolism but unhealthy when raised significantly).
In brief, they found evidence of blood vessel dilatation in both the Champagne group and the controls, but the Champagne increase was more widespread and lasted longer (8 hours). MMP was significantly reduced by Champagne. There were more metabolites of the polyphenols, showing they had been active and the reason for the benefits.
The lead researcher summed up the results with a cheery quote: Based on the results, “a couple of glasses” of champagne a day benefits the walls of blood vessels. That was in line with what Johanna Budwig (1908 – 2003) taught us, decades ago.1
According to Walter Willett, M.D., Chairman of Nutrition at Harvard University’s School of Public Health, much attention has been given to studies concluding that daily moderate consumption of alcohol of any type (including beer, white or red wine, or whiskey) over the age of 50 will reduce cardiovascular risk.
What is not commonly known, according to Willett, is that the beneficial effects of alcohol are only realized if there are sufficient levels of folate or folic acid in the diet. Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate which is a B vitamin found naturally in fruits and vegetables.2
Champagne Wasn’t Always French You Know!
Oh dear no! It was invented in England, of all places! That phoney story of the monk Dom Perignon “inventing” champagne is nonsense. He was on the search for robust glass bottles that wouldn’t keep exploding as they matured. He finally succeeded and that was his ONLY contribution to Champagne research.
But England? It happens to be true, though most Frenchmen would die, rather than admit it (to this day Brits are the biggest consumers of Champagne). But head of the house of Taittinger, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, concedes the English were first.
English scientist Christopher Merret documented how adding sugar to wine caused a second fermentation in 1662, predating Dom Pérignon in 1697. England’s superior coal-fired glass bottles, which could withstand the pressure, were crucial, allowing for the safe production and popular consumption of sparkling wine decades before French Champagne houses perfected their bottles.
I read it first in a very funny book BTW: “One Thousand Years of Annoying The French” by Stephen Clarke. It’s a vainglorious romp into the love-hate relationship which the Brits and the Frogs have always had. You know, Crecy, Agincourt, Waterloo! But Champagne first? It’s unreal. In fact justification of another war, in some French bars I’ve been in!
And before you ask: The Battle of Hastings (1066) was NOT a French victory. William the Conqueror was a Norman and HATED the French (many Normans still do and would rather be British I was told)! Haha!
Raise your glasses then, Your Majesty, My lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, “The New Year.” May it find you happy, healthy and prosperous, living without fear or anxiety!
Prof.
References:
- Vauzour D, Houseman EJ, George TW, et al. Moderate Champagne consumption promotes an acute improvement in acute endothelial-independent vascular function in healthy human volunteers. British Journal of Nutrition. 2010;103(8):1168-1178. doi:10.1017/S0007114509992959
- https://greenmedinfo.com/blog/bubbly-champagne-boosts-heart-health
