RED WINE: A FUNCTIONAL BEVERAGE?

Phenolic compounds present in grape berries are extracted from the skin, seeds and pulp during the winemaking process. These substances have a potentially positive effect on human health, thus giving to red wine "bioactive properties" that can contribute to decrease the incidence of a number of human pathologies. However, basic and clinical sciences are showing that the reality is much more complex than this and that several issues, notably daily intake, bioavailability, or in vivo antioxidant activity are yet to be resolved. Viticulture and winemaking practices, which vary in different countries, determine the concentration of phenolic compounds in wine. In particular poor knowledge is available on the effects of different yeast strains on the final concentration of polyphenols in red wine. In this chapter, we summarize the recent findings concerning the effects of wine polyphenols on human health and propose future directions for research to increase the amount of these healthy compounds in wine.