The Effects of Red Wine and Grape Juice Consumption in Overweight Individuals on Multiple Health Parameters

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of muscadine red wine and grape juice on weight, body fat, lipids, inflammation, and antioxidant capacity in overweight individuals. METHODS: In a randomized crossover design, 19 subjects consumed 300 mL of wine (WG) or grape juice (JG) for two weeks and acutely upon returning to the lab. Blood was drawn at baseline, post two weeks, and acutely. The statistical design was a 2 (treatments) x 3 (times) repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: Overall weight gain occurred in both groups with treatment effect (P=0.044) and time effect (P=0.018). Significant weight gain was found in WG (P=0.027). Total fat mass percentage, C-reactive protein and lipids were not affected by red wine or grape juice consumption. Ferric reducing ability of plasma significantly increased after acute, but not chronic, consumption of red wine (P<0.001). Oxygen radical absorptive capacity of plasma did not change significantly for either treatment. CONCLUSION: Adding wine or grape juice to the diets of overweight sedentary individuals, with no other dietary alterations, resulted in significant weight gain. Acute consumption of red wine resulted in significant changes in antioxidant capacity which may confer potential benefits on health variables other than ones examined in the present study.