What Are the Health Benefits of Blackberry Wine?

Wine drinkers of the world can rejoice that their favorite beverage touts health benefits in addition to its ability to help them unwind after a long day 2. Red wine derived from grapes or dark-colored berries like blackberries has long been thought to hold beneficial properties. Some of the beneficial ingredients are well-known, while still others are being researched and tested. What is clear is that by consuming blackberry wine in moderation, you can reap some of the benefits of this super-fruit.

Cancer and Free Radical Protection

Blackberries, like all dark-colored fruits, contain flavonoids. Flavonoids have antioxidant properties that have been shown to decrease the risk of a variety of cancers, including breast and cervical. Flavonoids also protect the body from free radicals that can attack the collagen protein in joints and blood vessels, reducing the probability of hemorrhoids and edema. A study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology also found that people who imbibe wine from dark berries are 45 percent less likely to develop colon cancer.

Cholesterol and Blood Clot Prevention

Like flavonoids, nonflavonoids are antioxidants found in red wine that comes from either grapes or berries. The nonflavonoid that is considered to be the most beneficial is resveratrol. Resveratrol is supposed to have many beneficial effects, including its ability to lower “bad” cholesterol, prevent blood vessel damage and guard against obesity and diabetes. Resveratrol has also been shown to prevent blood clots and decrease the risk of blood clot related strokes by 50 percent.

Heart Disease

Blackberry wine also contains compounds called procyanidins which have been shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease. Moderate red wine drinkers who also suffer from high blood pressure at 30 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack than those with the same symptoms who do not consume red wine. They promote good cholesterol and protect against irreparable artery damage. The wine also contains salicylate, which is a pain reliever and also fights against heart disease.

Other Benefits

A study published in the Journals of Gerontology in 2007 found that red or berry wine drinkers have a 34 percent lower mortality rate that those that drink beer or other spirits. Studies have also shown that brain decline in red wine drinkers is much slower than in those who do not drink. The result of an Icelandic study also showed that the consumption of red wine also diminishes the risk of cataracts. People who are moderate drinkers were 32 percent less likely to develop cataracts.