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Originally Posted by MissBrattified
Unsweetened grape juice has about 1/3 the calories as sweet wine. It's also lower in sodium and higher in potassium. I'm not sure what the actual sugar content is in either, but if something has less calories, then you are simply drinking LESS CALORIES. LOL!!!!! Unless you are a diabetic, the sugar content is irrelevant. It's the calorie content you need to worry about.
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I have diabetes in my family and part of my diet was focused on significantly reducing sugars. Also point of interest would be the exploding number of people becoming diagnosed with diabetes. My diet was not so much focused on calories as it was reducing sugars and foods high on the glycemic index.
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This link was provided at the Dr. Oz website (www.realage.com):
"...A study at Glasgow University measured levels of antioxidants -- thought to have a protective effect against cancer -- in a range of popular juice drinks. Purple concord grape juice came out on top, with the highest levels and range of antioxidants. Incidentally, this juice has the same level of these compounds as Beaujolais red wine.
It's recommended that we add a glass of grape juice to our daily diet and count it as one of our five daily fruits and vegetables...." www.thecancerblog.com
I think it's safe to say that if concord grape juice has the same level of antioxidant compounds as red wine, then drinking 1 cup of one will have the same benefit as drinking 1 cup of the other.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MissBrattified
"...The authors of the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid recommend moderate consumption of wine. The American Heart Association recommends drinking in moderation. Most Mediterranean people drink with their meals. Consuming an alcoholic beverage in moderation means drinking no more than one glass of beer, wine or a cocktail a day for a woman and two for a man. This may reduce heart attack risk by raising HDL levels somewhat and by inhibiting blood clotting, however, alcohol is addictive and can lead to destructive behavior. Over-consumption can cause high blood pressure and weakening of the heart muscle. Studies suggest drinking grape juice can have the same beneficial effect as drinking wine. OPC's (Oligomeric Proantho Cyannidins) are located in the skin and seeds of grapes and are powerful free radical quenchers. If you do drink, do so in moderation. If you don't drink, don't start. Drinking purple grape juice may be a healthier alternative for some...." www.womensheart.org
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MissBrattified
Excellent article.
So far, everything I've read has stated that wine has health benefits (in moderation only), but grape juice has the same benefits without the risks.
Also, the calorie content is lower in unsweetened grape juice, (or about the same, depending on what wine you're comparing it to), so weight gain shouldn't be a concern anymore than it would be with drinking wine.
The problem is, though, many people buy juice "drinks" or juice cocktails, and those, of course, DO have added sugar and thus more calories. Judicious grocery shopping is the key--not choosing wine over juice. 
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I don’t know. There’s a study showing anything and everything. What I do know is that I specifically asked my doctor about grape juices and she advised that I stay away from them because of the sugars and stated that they don’t have the same benefits as red wine. I’ve read about the merits of concentrated organic grape juices comparable to wine. However, a glass of Welch’s, while it contains antioxidants, isn’t on par with a glass of wine…but I’m sure somewhere Welch’s has paid to produce studies that shows that it does. lol
Either way, we’re discussing the biblical merits of drinking “a little wine” for health reasons. In ancient times they didn’t have pasteurized grape juices and although many point out they had a way to preserve freshly pressed wine, it wasn’t primarily to drink as juice, it was to preserve the pressed wine for the making of wine or “honey”, a dried compound added to food and water. I do agree, if grape juice provides the same benefits as wine, surely if one wishes to avoid alcohol they would be served well by having some grape juice. However, biblically speaking, there is no absolute prohibition from wine in and of itself.
Home Work Assignment:
Compare sugars contained in a comparable sized bottle of Welch’s to a bottle of Pepsi. Compare findings to a glass of Fetzer Merlot.
Psalm 104
{104:14} He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the
service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
{104:15} And wine [that] maketh glad the heart of man, [and] oil to
make [his] face to shine, and bread [which] strengtheneth man’s
heart.
Deuteronomy 14:23-27
{14:23} And thou shalt eat before the LORD
thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his
name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine
oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that
thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.
{14:24} And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art
not able to carry it; [or] if the place be too far from thee,
which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name
there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: {14:25}
Then shalt thou turn [it] into money, and bind up the money
in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD
thy God shall choose: {14:26} And thou shalt bestow that
money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for
sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy
soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy
God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,
Isaiah 25:6
{25:6} And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts
make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines
on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees
well refined.
Wine is a blessing, a gift to man. However, we are sternly warned that it is not to be abused. My health benefited from it.