Red Wine has been touted as as having benefits to heart health but not enough to have the AMA suggest having a glass a day, unless of course you already drink, in which case they do give the nod to consume. One of the reasons they favor it at all is the antioxidant resveratrol.
Resveratrol, is a compound found in the seeds and skins of grapes. Red wine has a high natural concentration of the antioxidant resveratrol because the skins and seeds are ferment along with the grape juices during the red wine maturation process. This long term contact during the wines fermentation process produces very significant levels of resveratrol in the finished red basics wine.
While white wine also contains resveratrol, the seeds and skins are removed early in the white wine-making process thereby reducing the concentration of the antioxidant compound found in the fermented white wine produced.
Antioxidants are extremely beneficial in the prevention of certain cancers in that they prevent harmful elements in the body from attacking healthy blood cells. This particular antioxidant compound is found not only in red basics wine but blueberries, cranberries, and peanuts as well. Resveratrol is easily absorbed into the blood stream by the human body. The antioxidant properties of resveratrol also contains certain health benefits in the prevention of heart disease and the reduction of lung tissue inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease commonly referred to as COPD.