Anti-aging wine for better skin health
A new study presented today says that nonalcoholic muscadine found to have unique polyphenols can help improve skin conditions, especially in middle-aged and older women.
The study further reveals how skin benefits from Muscadine wine and how its unique polyphenols can enhance skin health and combat aging.
Muscadine wine: the new secret weapon against aging skin?
A recent study suggests that women who consumed two glasses of non-alcoholic muscadine wine daily experienced significant enhancements in skin elasticity and hydration compared to those drinking a placebo.
This pioneering study marks the first time the effects of alcohol-free wine on skin health have been examined in a controlled clinical trial. The observed skin benefits are attributed to a class of plant-based chemical compounds, polyphenols.
Muscadine grapes have been found to have a unique polyphenolic profile in comparison to other red wine varieties,” reported Lindsey Christman, PhD, who led the research alongside Liwei Gu, PhD, a professor of food chemistry and functional food at the University of Florida. “Our study suggests that muscadine wine polyphenols have potential to improve skin conditions, specifically elasticity and transepidermal water loss, in middle aged and older women.”
Can Muscadine wine really improve skin health?
Native to the Southeastern United States, Muscadine grapes are frequently used in winemaking. Earlier clinical trials have implied that polyphenols present in muscadine wine, such as anthocyanins, quercetin, and ellagic acid, may contribute to reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.
In the study, 17 women between the ages of 40 and 67 were given either non-alcoholic wine or a placebo drink of similar taste and appearance but devoid of polyphenols.
Each participant consumed approximately 10 ounces (the equivalent of two glasses of wine) of their assigned beverage daily for six weeks, followed by a three-week break before swapping to the alternate beverage for another six weeks.
Researchers assessed the participants’ skin conditions and indicators of inflammation and oxidative stress at the start and end of each six-week cycle.
Muscadine Wine impact on Skin
They observed that the consumption of muscadine wine led to a notable increase in skin elasticity, which naturally decreases with age, resulting in sagging skin. The wine also reduced transepidermal water loss, suggesting a more efficient skin barrier function.
However, the study found no significant change in wrinkle count. While the participants demonstrated enhanced skin smoothness and decreased evidence of inflammation and oxidative stress compared to the baseline, these improvements weren’t significantly different between those drinking non-alcoholic muscadine wine and those consuming the placebo.
“This cross-over study demonstrated that six weeks of dealcoholized muscadine wine consumption resulted in improvement of certain skin parameters associated with aging, such as elasticity on the forearm and barrier function of the skin on the face, when compared to baseline and placebo,” Christman added. “This is likely due to decreases in inflammation and oxidative stress.”
As the trial included only 17 participants, a repeat study with a larger, more diverse cohort would provide further validation and reinforcement of these findings. Additionally, as most commercially available muscadine wines do contain alcohol, researchers advised that the results might differ with alcoholic wine consumption.
Christman explained, “We used dealcoholized muscadine wine because we were interested in the effect of the bioactive compounds in wine, specifically the polyphenols, on skin health. Alcohol would add another variable to the study that may cause the effects to be different. In addition, the dealcholization process may alter the chemical composition.”
Christman is set to unveil these findings at NUTRITION 2023, the prestigious annual conference of the American Society for Nutrition happening July 22–25 in Boston.
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