Q: Is wine high in dietary fiber?—Cecilia, Worcester, Mass.
A: Many of the compounds in wine, especially the class of antioxidants called polyphenols, have been linked to health benefits. Some of those include positive effects on gastrointestinal health, which is also impacted by dietary fiber. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fiber can help control your blood sugar, promote cardiovascular and digestive health, help you maintain a healthy weight and more. We also know that most Americans don’t get enough of it. Could a glass of wine help you reach your fiber goals?
How Much Fiber Is in Grapes?
Wine is made from grapes, which are a moderately good source of fiber. According to the University of Michigan, 1 cup of grapes contains 1.2 grams of fiber. That’s not insignificant, though many fruits offer a bigger fiber punch. For instance, a medium apple with the skin contains 3.7 grams, while a cup of raspberries contains a whopping 8.4 grams. Current U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that adults consume 22 to 34 grams of fiber a day.
How much of the fiber in grapes makes it into the finished wine? Traditionally, nutritionists have believed that wine contained no fiber—and most nutrition labels and fact sheets say that wine contains 0 grams of fiber. This makes intuitive sense: Grape skins, pulp and seeds (the primary sources of fiber in grapes) are removed during winemaking, and some residual fiber is likely also removed during fining and filtering.
A Surprising Amount of Fiber in Wine
That said, it appears that some fiber makes it into the finished wine. In 2006, a Spanish study published in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture found that wine contains a nutritionally significant amount of fiber—specifically, soluble dietary fiber, which is particularly important for health. By analyzing seven Spanish wines, the researchers found that red wine contains 0.94–1.37 grams per liter, and white wine contains 0.19–0.39 grams per liter. Some of the fiber came from grapes, but some appeared to come from the cell walls of yeasts, which are crucial for alcoholic fermentation.
While any amount of fiber in wine is better than none, don’t count on a glass or two to make much of an impact on your daily dose of fiber. Drinking around two glasses of red wine would constitute around just 1 percent of the U.S. daily recommended intake.
Wine, Fiber and Your Digestive Health
In a follow-up study, the same researchers found that the fiber in wine is associated with a substantial proportion of wine polyphenols. They suggest that these fiber-associated polyphenols likely pass through the small intestine without being absorbed by the body, instead passing to the colon. The study adds to our evolving understanding of how polyphenols are metabolized in the body—specifically, how their health effects may depend on their modification by gut microbiota.
Plenty of research has found that drinking wine with a meal maximizes its health benefits. That’s especially true for foods rich in polyphenols, such as dark leafy greens, legumes, fish, whole grains, fruits, nuts and more. Many of these foods, which are hallmarks of Mediterranean and related diets, also happen to be rich in fiber.
As always, talk to your healthcare provider about incorporating wine into a healthy lifestyle.—Kenny Martin
