A Toast to Sleep | Flourish Over 50

It is widely accepted that wine is very relaxing.  Wine contains many natural compounds such as antioxidants that studies have shown help prevent against certain diseases such as cancer and heart disease. The relaxing effect of wine, for the most part, is normally attributed to the alcohol content.  However, there is now evidence that the calming and sleep-inducing effect of wine may be due to something more than just the alcohol.

In a recent study at the University of Milan in Italy, researchers found that the skin of red wine grapes contains high levels of a sleep hormone called melatonin.

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the body that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle (also known as our circadian rhythm). There is a relationship between melatonin and light.  At night, when it is dark, the melatonin levels in our body naturally rise.  These levels decline upon morning light.  Numerous studies have shown that melatonin helps you have a good night’s sleep by shortening the time it takes to fall asleep, reducing the number of times you wake up in the night and also by improving the quality of sleep.  Some people with sleep difficulties may have potentially deficient levels of melatonin production and will therefore benefit from a melatonin supplement or, based on this recent study, simply through drinking a glass of wine.

What Should I Drink?

There are so many different classifications of wine, which include red, rose, white, dessert and sparkling wines. With each individual type of wine, you can have hundreds of varieties due to the individual grapes grown in various regions all over the world and the blending of these different grapes.  Of all these wines, it is only red wine that is known to contain melatonin.  Melatonin exists in the skin of grapes, which is the part that contributes to the red wine color. However, are all red wines the same?  Scientists have found the red wines with the highest level of melatonin include Nebbiolo, Merlot, Cabernet Savignon, Sangiovesse and Croatina.

Proof of Melatonin?

A few problems have been proposed arguing against this current study. Despite the fact that melatonin is in wine grapes, there is still no clear proof that it is present in the wine after the fermentation process. Another controversy involves other researchers who are skeptical wondering if the chemical found in grape skins is in fact melatonin or if is it just a chemical similar to melatonin.  Moreover, if melatonin does exist in red wine, there is no evidence to support that the red wines that contain higher levels of melatonin will actually help you get a better night’s sleep than other glasses of red wine with lower levels of melatonin. Knowing these challenges, more research is ultimately necessary.

Too Good to Be True?

Red wine has many beneficial ingredients including compounds such as antioxidants (polyphenols, resveratrol, flavonoids) that may help protect against cancer and heart disease. Adding melatonin to the list of healthy ingredients will make wine a tasty and worthwhile after-work beverage.  What’s the downside? A word of advice before you start increasing your wine intake; with excessive consumption, any health benefits may be negated by the increased rate of various alcohol-related diseases, primarily liver problems.  The more apparent immediate side effects of drinking wine include dehydration, hangovers, headaches and even allergic reactions (attributed to the presence of sulfites).

To Wine or Not to Wine?

If you are having a hard time falling asleep, maybe a glass of red wine may be just the perfect remedy for you.  If not, something greater than a melatonin imbalance may be contributing to your poor sleep. In any case, enjoy a nice glass of red wine, if you wish, but remember, everything in moderation.

- Dr. Astrid Chong

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Reprinted with the permission from Truestar Health

Dr. Astrid Chong is a doctor of naturopathic medicine currently living and studying in England.

This entry was posted by Guest Authors on January 18, 2012 at 9:08 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Posted in Featured Health & Fitness by Guest Authors