Some astute innovators have developed “wine diets.” And some wine diets are risky, while others are reasonable.
Helen Gurley Brown, who was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, had mentioned one of the risky wine diets in her New York Times best-selling book called “Sex and the Single Girl: The Unmarried Woman’s Guide to Men” published in 1962. She mentioned that people survive on only wine, eggs, steak, and black coffee for three days straight. The wine diet was reprinted in Vogue in 1977.
Gurley Brown wrote, “People could lose five pounds if they followed the stringent regimen, which today would be considered a ‘crash diet’ at best, and completely dangerous at worst. However, it’s the original wine diet, and history is important because of all that we can learn from it. Even if the only thing we learn is that drinking wine for breakfast is not conducive to a work environment.”
Many nutrition experts, even the ones who appreciate wine, like Roger Corder, will explain to you why Gurley Brown’s diet is not representative of a well-balanced diet.
Corder, who is the author of The Red Wine Diet, has been researching wine and nutrition for years, noted that Gurley Brown’s diet was likely a caustic remark, “mocking other people’s diet fads.”
He said, “I can’t believe it’s serious. The lack of vegetables, [which translates to] no folate, and other important nutrients is not only unhealthy, but also going to predispose you to many harmful effects of alcohol, particularly when the amount of alcohol is not moderate.” He said he it is hard to help it if the people who use the internet do not understand sarcasm.
The wine diet proposed by Corder is more reasonable and palatable, but more importantly, it is based on his research. He found that red wine contains procyanidins that can lead to improved health, longevity, and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Corder said, “You’re basically looking for wines that are made in a fairly classical, old fashioned way. Wines that make you pucker your lips when you taste them.”
He specifically recommends wines from Ribera del Duero, a region in Spain, where the wine is made from Tempranillo grapes that are high in procyanidins.
He noted that there are no real diet rules as far as food is concerned. The nutrition expert said, “You want to optimize your nutrition, not do a crash diet, to lose weight or to change your lifestyle.” He explained that this could be done over the years to maintain great health and longevity. And wine can be part of that diet.
However, he cautioned that it is best to consume wine in moderation. He says it is fine to have a glass (5 to 6 ounces) of red wine at night with a proper meal of salmon and vegetables for optimal health.
Corder said that if you do not like wine, you could try procyanidins supplements. Corder just conveys a message that you can still enjoy life over a glass of wine and be healthy. He said, “There’s plenty of opportunities to have a healthy diet and actually enjoy healthy food and wine.”
