Does wine provide the same health benefits when you cook with it?

Posted: December 10, 2010

Q: Does wine provide the same health benefits when you cook with it?—Phil Kim

A: The short answer to your question is that no one really knows yet. Wine does appear to confer health benefits for those who consume it in moderation, such as a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, but the definitive answer to as to "why" or "how" has yet to be determined. Some believe that the answer lies in looking at the lifestyle choices of wine drinkers; others think that some component of wine, be it alcohol, resveratrol or another compound is the key. Cooking with wine introduces a set of new variables into the equation. If it does turn out that some specific element in wine is the reason why wine promotes health, we'd have to know how that element reacts when cooked. For instance, alcohol burns off when added to a simmering dish, but at a variable rate: After 15 minutes, 40 percent of it remains, after 120 minutes, just 10 percent. So until the big mystery on how and why wine might be healthy is unraveled, here's a toast to eating well.

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