Anthocyanin, a natural anti-inflammatory

[Jhanananda]

I have had a new arthritis inflammation episode going on all week.  Two days ago a friend gave me a jar of cherry juice to drink, because Cherries have something in them that treats diabetes and arthritis.  I drank about 4 ounces of it that night, and the next morning I noticed significant reduction in arthritis inflammation, although it might have been a coincidence.  So I did some research and found that cherries belong to a family of stone fruit Prunus, which includes apricots, which might explain why apricot ale has been helping me. This means other prunus species of might be useful as well, such as: plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots  and almonds.

The 50 or so grams of sugar content in cherry juice is disturbing, so I plan to look into hard ciders from the fruit of the various prunus species, because the fermentation that makes cider hard reduces the sugar content to from 50 grams 10-20 grams in 8oz (237ml). I also plan to pickup some almonds to eat.

Chemicals Found In Cherries May Help Fight Diabetes
Chemists have identified a group of naturally occurring chemicals (Anthocyanin) abundant in cherries that could help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. In early laboratory studies using animal pancreatic cells, the chemicals, called anthocyanins, increased insulin production by 50 percent.

Eating cherries lowers risk of gout attacks by 35%, study suggests

Anthocyanins are implicated both in helping diabetes and reducing inflammation.
Marathon runners should pick cherries for speedy recovery

Anthocyanin
In addition to their role as light-attenuators, anthocyanins also act as powerful antioxidants. However, it is not clear whether anthocyanins can significantly contribute to scavenging of free radicals...

Plants rich in anthocyanins are Vaccinium species, such as blueberry, cranberry, and bilberry; Rubus berries, including black raspberry, red raspberry, and blackberry; blackcurrant, cherry, eggplant peel, black rice, Concord grape, muscadine grape, Black raspberry, Wild blueberry, Purple corn, Norton grape, red cabbage, and violet petals. Red-fleshed peaches are rich in anthocyanins.  The highest recorded amount appears to be specifically in the seed coat of black soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) containing some 2,000 mg per 100 g[15] and in skins and pulp of black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa L.).  Anthocyanins can also be found in naturally ripened olives,[22][23] and are partly responsible for the red and purple colors of some olives.

Potential food value
Anthocyanins are considered secondary metabolites as a food additive with E number E163 (INS number 163); they are approved for use as a food additive in the EU,[34] Australia and New Zealand.[35]

Although anthocyanins are powerful antioxidants in vitro,[36] this antioxidant property is unlikely to be conserved after the plant is consumed. As interpreted by the Linus Pauling Institute and European Food Safety Authority, dietary anthocyanins and other flavonoids have little or no direct antioxidant food value following digestion.[37][38][39] Unlike controlled test-tube conditions, the fate of anthocyanins in vivo shows they are poorly conserved (less than 5%), with most of what is absorbed existing as chemically modified metabolites that are rapidly excreted.[40]

The increase in antioxidant capacity of blood seen after the consumption of anthocyanin-rich foods may not be caused directly by the anthocyanins, but instead may result from increased uric acid levels derived from metabolism of flavonoids.

Research on health benefits
General research

Richly concentrated as pigments in berries, anthocyanins were the topics of research presented at a 2007 symposium on health benefits that may result from berry consumption.[43]

According to a 2009 study: "A growing body of evidence suggests anthocyanins and anthocyanidins may possess analgesic properties in addition to neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory activities".[44]

In vitro, anthocyanins possess MAO inhibitory activity for both MAO-A and MAO-B; MAO function is connected to neurodegenerative diseases, depression, and anxiety. The relevance to humans of anthocyanins and MAO activity requires further research, however.[45]

Working under 2 principles today.
1) Fermentation consumes carbs
2) Cherries are prunus species, and there are other species of prunus than just cherries, therefore it is reasonable to consume other prunus species other than just cherries.

So, I went to the grocery store and bought all of the ciders that I could find made with prunus species.  It came to 2 cherry ciders (Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat and Samuel Smith organic cherry ale) and 1 beer that contained apricots (Pyramid Apricot Ale). I also bought a bag of almonds.

I drank one 12oz bottle of the beer containing apricots, and drank 8oz of the cherry juice a friend gave me. I have been relatively inflammation-free all day.

The information about cherries and prunus species having anti-inflammatory properties explains why my inflammation episodes respond so positively to the consumption of Pyramid Apricot Ale.

Gene Regulation & Molecular Biology
Betalains, the other red pigment
Roses are red and beets are red for completely different reasons. Virtually all flowering plants contain one of two mutually exclusive and unrelated red/purple pigment pathways, anthocyanins or betalains. The anthocyanin biosynthetic and regulatory network has been heavily studied and occurs in the vast majority of taxa including roses, Arabidopsis, and maize. Betalains on the other hand are restricted to certain families of a single order, the Caryophyllales, where they assume the roles of anthocyanin pigments in all biological contexts. The betalain families contain crop species including Beets, Spinach, Amaranthus, Quinoa, and Prickly Pear cactus.

While anthocyanins are based on phenylalanine, betalains derive from tyrosine. Only a single betalain biosynthetic gene/enzyme, and no regulators, have been reported to date. We have recently identified a novel cytochrome P450 that is absolutely required to make red betalain pigments. Without this P450, beets only make yellow betaxanthin pigments. This P450 locus corresponds to the beet R locus identified by Keller more than 75 years ago. In addition, we have identified a MYB-type transcription factor that activates the biosynthetic genes in the betalain network. Phylogenetic analysis of this MYB places it in the anthocyanin MYB clade indicating that is was co-opted to regulate betalains. We will present analysis of these genes using overexpression, Virus Induced Gene Silencing, and mutant complementation in beet, and expression of the betalain pathway in Arabidopsis.

[Jhanananda]

Working under the finding that red raspberry also contains Anthocyanin, I found an ale at the grocery store made with raspberries in it from Spanish Peaks Brewing Co.  I drank one yesterday, and it seemed to reduce joint inflammation, so today I am drinking another.

According to the research on Anthocyanin Purple corn has 4 times the content of Anthocyanin than all other foods studied.  It suggests that Purple corn might a healthy item to add to the diet of someone who has inflammatory conditions.

Purple corn (Spanish: maíz morado) or purple maize, a variety of zea mays, is a corn grown in the Andes region of South America. Is common in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and it is used in chicha morada (a drink made by boiling purple corn with pineapple, cinnamon, clove, and sugar) and mazamorra, a type of pudding. One of the most popular drinks is the "Api" or also known as "Inca's dessert[1]".The kernels of Purple Corn have long been used by the people of the Andes to color foods and beverages, a practice just beginning to become popularized in the industrialized world. Besides its use as food and dye, purple corn is thought to have many health benefits.

Chicha morada is a sweet Peruvian beverage made from purple corn, a variant of Zea mays native to the Peruvian Andes, and spices. Non-alcoholic, it is a type of chicha usually made by boiling the corn with pineapple, cinnamon, clove, and sugar. Its use and consumption date back to the pre-colonial era of Peru, even prior to the creation of the Inca empire. The traditional preparation of the drink involves boiling the corn in water with pineapple and, after the juices have gotten into the water, letting it cool. Sugar, cinnamon, and clove are often added for extra spice and flavor.

Chicha morada can be purchased from Amigo Foods Co..  This beverage is surely high in carbs, but could be fermented to reduce those carbs.

Corn beer, beer made from corn, is a traditional beverage in various cuisines. Chicha is widespread in Latin America and some types use corn and are fermented and alcoholic, especially chicha de jora (a type of yellow corn). The chicha corn beer is popular in Peru and is served in Arequipa's picanterías. Tejuino is a corn beer made by the Tarahumara Indians of Sierra Madre in Mexico. Umqombothi is the Xhosa language word for a corn beer made in South Africa from maize (corn), maize malt, sorghum malt, yeast and water.

[Jhanananda]

Recently a friend sent me a bottle of Cherry Flex, red tart cherry softgels, which are made with whole fruit.  Some how they were able to remove the sugar, while not losing the Anthocyanin.  I took one a day for 1 week and found no results; however, a few days ago I increased the dosage to 2 every morning, and there has been a significant reduction in inflammation, which I believe might be due to the Cherry Flex, red tart cherry softgels.

[Jhanananda]

My recent recovery from an inflammation in my crushed disk also involved drinking prunus species hard ciders.  On the first 2 day I drank 6 12oz bottles of prunus species hard ciders to bring down the inflammation.  On the 3rd day it only took 3, then 1 each day following.  It looks like prunus species hard ciders are going to have to be part of my daily regimen, along with electromagnetic shielding and grounding.

[Jhanananda]

I resorted to prunus species ciders recently to bring down inflammations. It helped.  Finding prunus species ciders still helping, yesterday I ordered more fermentation supplies, and enough purple corn to make a 5-gallon batch of corn beer.  I also read more in my 2 fermentation books.  It looks like it will take a month or more before I have a product to test.

Doing more research I found significant levels of Anthocyanin in other plant foods+

In food
Plants rich in anthocyanins are Vaccinium species, such as blueberry, cranberry, and bilberry; Rubus berries, including black raspberry, red raspberry, and blackberry; blackcurrant, cherry, eggplant peel, black rice, Concord grape, muscadine grape, red cabbage, and violet petals. Red-fleshed peaches are rich in anthocyanins.[15]

The highest recorded amount appears to be specifically in the seed coat of black soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) containing some 2,000 mg per 100 g,[16] in purple corn kernels and husks, and in skins and pulp of black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa L.) (table). Due to critical differences in sample origin, preparation and extraction methods determining anthocyanin content,[17][18] the values presented in the adjoining table are not directly comparable.

Nature, traditional agriculture, and plant breeding have produced various uncommon crops containing anthocyanins, including blue- or red-flesh potatoes and purple or red broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, and corn. Tomatoes have been bred conventionally for high anthocyanin content by crossing wild relatives with the common tomato to transfer a gene called the anthocyanin fruit tomato (aft) gene into a larger and more palatable fruit.[19]

Tomatoes have also been genetically modified with transcription factors from snapdragons to produce high levels of anthocyanins in the fruits.[20][21][22] Anthocyanins can also be found in naturally ripened olives,[23][24] and are partly responsible for the red and purple colors of some olives.[23]

In leaves of plant foods
Content of anthocyanins in the leaves of colorful plant foods, such as purple corn, blueberries or lingonberries, is about 10 times higher than in the edible kernels or fruit.[13][25]

Anthocyanins are less abundant in banana, asparagus, pea, fennel, pear, and potato, and may be totally absent in certain cultivars of green gooseberries.[8]

Food source    Anthocyanin content in mg per 100 g
the seed coat of black soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.)  2,000
Purple corn leaves    10x more than in kernels
Purple corn    1,642
Chokeberry    1,480
Norton grape    888
Black raspberry    589
Cherry    350–400

Black Chokeberry has 4-5x as much Anthocyanin as cherries have.

Chokeberry Extract Aronia Melanocarpa

Dried Organic Chokeberries

[Jhanananda]

I just changed the name of this thread, because it has become all about Anthocyanin.  My recent improvement in health has been nothing short of miraculous, and it is in part due to Anthocyanin. 

After some research I found purple corn was one of the foods highest in Anthocyanin, so I planned to ferment it to reduce the carbs to alcohol, which my body can handle in moderation, but it cannot handle carbohydrates.  So, I ordered a fermentation kit, a couple of books on fermentation, then 5lbs (2.27KG) of whole purple corn kernels, and more fermentation gear. 

The purple corn arrived 2 days ago, and the rest of the equipment arrived yesterday. 

I started soaking the purple corn yesterday to sprout it, which is part of the necessary malting process.

[Jhanananda]

Yesterday I built a sprouting rack, and drained the soaked purple corn seeds in it.  I will water it about every 4 hours.  IO soaked the seeds in the tray under, and now I use it for collecting the water that drains off from watering the seeds.

[Jhanananda]

Purple Corn Extract, 100 Grams
Certified Organic Purple Corn Kernels 16oz
Corn, Purple - 10 Lb Bag / Box Each $36.00 + $9.25 shipping

[Jhanananda]

Progress on fermenting purple corn

It took about a week for the malting process to complete with the purple corn

I ran the purple corn through a blender

It took me 3 days to get the 5-gallons (20L) of purple corn mash to boil for a day.

This morning I poured it into a 5-gallon bucket

I then put an air-tight lid on the bucket, and put a bubbler on it to monitor fermentation.

[Jhanananda]

Yesterday, feeling free of back-pain I moved 50 gallons of my fuel blend that I had foolishly left on a cart that is equipped with a small crane, which I developed to move items that are over 10lbs (50kg).  I ended up sliding the five 5-gallon containers of fuel from one cart with the crane to one without it. I thought at the time that I could get away with just sliding those containers, but my back told me this morning with increased pain that I had better not ever do that again. So, that brought me to more experiments with anthocyanin.  Being diabetic these days I cannot eat prunus species fruit, which is high in Anthocyanins, unless it is fermented, which converts the carbs to protein and alcohol. So the increased pain was my inspiration to continue my research into low-carb sources of anthocyanins.

Today I went to the nearby grocery store and looked around their alcohol department, because fermented alcohols can be low carb sources of anthocyanins. Knowing that red grapes are red because of the presence of anthocyanins, and generally the redder the fermented liquid, then the more Anthocyanin is in it; and knowing that concord grapes are high in anthocyanins, then I figured that a dark red wine might be more effective at relieving my chronic inflammatory conditions than Pyramid Apricot Ale, which means I could spend less money, and drink less to get the same results in reduction of inflammation.

There I found Fish Eye wines shiraz to be very effective in reducing inflammation; and it was very inexpensive at only $5/ 750L bottle.  It happens to be not just made from grapes, but from blackberries and blueberries, which are even higher in anthocyanins than red grapes.

My goal is to find something so high in anthocyanins, while low enough in carbs, that I can consume no more than a few drops every few hours, without over-dosing my pancreas on carbs. I found that the Fish Eye wines shiraz was very effective at reducing inflammation. So, I believe I am moving closer to my goal of a low-carb anti-inflammatory.

Abstract

Anthocyanin pigments and associated flavonoids have demonstrated ability to protect against a myriad of human diseases, yet they have been notoriously difficult to study with regard to human health. Anthocyanins frequently interact with other phytochemicals to potentiate biological effects, thus contributions from individual components are difficult to decipher. The complex, multicomponent structure of compounds in a bioactive mixture and the degradation of flavonoids during harsh extraction procedures obscure the precise assignment of bioactivity to individual pigments. Extensive metabolic breakdown after ingestion complicates tracking of anthocyanins to assess absorption, bioavailability, and accumulation in various organs. Anthocyanin pigments and other flavonoids that are uniformly, predictably produced in rigorously controlled plant cell culture systems can be a great advantage for health and nutrition research because they are quickly, easily isolated, lack interferences found in whole fruits, can be elicited to provoke rapid and prolific accumulation, and are amenable to biolabeling so that metabolic fate can be investigated after ingestion...

Daily intake is estimated from 500 mg to 1 g, but can be several g/d if an individual is consuming flavonoid supplements (grape seed extract, ginkgo biloba, or pycnogenol; see, eg, [1])...

The free-radical scavenging and antioxidant capacities of anthocyanin pigments are the most highly publicized of the modus operandi used by these pigments to intervene with human therapeutic targets, but, in fact, research clearly suggests that other mechanisms of action are also responsible for observed health benefits [2, 3, 4, 5]. Anthocyanin isolates and anthocyanin-rich mixtures of bioflavonoids may provide protection from DNA cleavage, estrogenic activity (altering development of hormone-dependent disease symptoms), enzyme inhibition, boosting production of cytokines (thus regulating immune responses), anti-inflammatory activity, lipid peroxidation, decreasing capillary permeability and fragility, and membrane strengthening [6, 7, 8, 9, 10]...

The roles of anthocyanin pigments as medicinal agents have been well-accepted dogma in folk medicine throughout the world, and, in fact, these pigments are linked to an amazingly broad-based range of health benefits. For example, anthocyanins from Hibiscus sp have historically been used in remedies for liver disfunction and hypertension; and bilberry (Vaccinium) anthocyanins have an anecdotal history of use for vision disorders, microbial infections, diarrhea, and diverse other health disorders [17, 18, 19]. But while the use of anthocyanins for therapeutic purposes has long been supported by both anecdotal and epidemiological evidence, it is only in recent years that some of the specific, measurable pharmacological properties of isolated anthocyanin pigments have been conclusively verified by rigorously controlled in vitro, in vivo, or clinical research trials [4]...

For example, visual acuity can be markedly improved through administration of anthocyanin pigments to animal and human subjects, and the role of these pigments in enhancing night vision or overall vision has been particularly well documented [23]. Oral intake of anthocyanosides from black currants resulted in significantly improved night vision adaptation in human subjects [24], and similar benefits were gained after administration of anthocyanins from bilberries [25]. Three anthocyanins from black currant stimulated regeneration of rhodopsin (a G-protein-coupled receptor localized in the retina of the eye), and formation of a regeneration intermediate was accelerated by cyanidin 3-rutinoside [26]. These studies strongly suggest that enhancement of rhodopsin regeneration is at least one mechanism by which anthocyanins enhance visual acuity...

In both in vitro and in vivo research trials, anthocyanins have demonstrated marked ability to reduce cancer cell proliferation and to inhibit tumor formation [27, 28, 29, 30]. The capacity of anthocyanin pigments to interfere with the process of carcinogenesis seems to be linked to multiple potential mechanisms of action including inhibition of cyclooxygenase enzymes and potent antioxidant potential. Hou et al [20] revealed that anthocyanins inhibit tumorigenesis by blocking activation of a mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. This report provided the first indication of a molecular basis for why anthocyanins demonstrate anticarcinogenic properties. In other research, fruit extracts with significant anthocyanin concentrations proved to be effective against various stages of carcinogenesis [18, 28, 31, 32]...

The role of anthocyanins in cardiovascular disease protection is strongly linked to oxidative stress protection. Since endothelial dysfunction is involved in initiation and development of vascular disease, four anthocyanins isolated from elderberries were incorporated into the plasma lemma and cytosol of endothelial cells to directly examine the protective roles [34]. These tests demonstrated not only that anthocyanins could be directly incorporated into endothelial cells, but that significant oxidative stress protection was the result...

Tsuda et al [4] recently provided evidence that anthocyanins extracted from purple corn, when provided to mice in tandem with a high-fat diet, effectively inhibited both body weight and adipose tissue increases. Typical symptoms of hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperleptinemia provoked by a high-fat diet did not occur when mice also ingested isolated anthocyanins. The experiments suggest that anthocyanins, as a functional food component, can aid in the prevention of obesity and diabetes...

Anthocyanins have been credited with capacity to modulate cognitive and motor function, to enhance memory, and to have a role in preventing age-related declines in neural function. Cho et al [39] reported that administration of isolated semipurified anthocyanins from purple sweet potato enhanced cognitive performance as assessed by passive avoidance tests in ethanol-treated mice, and also effectively inhibited lipid peroxidation in rat brain tissues. By administering blueberry extracts with significant anthocyanin content (but not purified pigments), it was noted that the blueberry-supplemented diets led to effective reversal of age-related deficits in various neural and behavioral parameters (memory and motor functions) [40]...

Anthocyanins exerted multiple protective effects against pleurisy in a rat model and were capable of attenuating inflammation. Anthocyanin treatment also downregulated expression of enzymes involved in inflammation in the lung [10]. The antimicrobial activity of anthocyanins in general has been well established, including significant inhibition of aflatoxin biosynthesis [42]. The experimental evidence demonstrating anthocyanin benefits for diabetes and pancreatic disorders has also accumulated in recent years, and again the efficacy is attributed to the multiple, simultaneous biological effects these pigments cause in the body, including prevention of generation of free radicals, decreased lipid peroxidation, reduced pancreatic swelling, and decreased blood sugar concentrations in urine and blood serum [43, 44]...

Wine color
The thicker the skin, usually the richer the color. The darkest, richest and fullest red wines are made from deeply pigmented, thick skinned grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petite Sirah.

[Jhanananda]

Realizing that the Fish Eye wines shiraz was just a dark red wine, though cheap by the bottles, and effective anti-inflammatory, I nonetheless am on a budget and shopped for wine by the 5L bag.  The problem is, since I was sober for so long, I really do not know much about wine.  Since Anthocyanin is responsible for the pigment in many fruit, especially grapes, then the dark red the better for its use as an anti-inflammatory.

I searched for the types of Red Wines.  I got:

Some of the most common red wines that you are likely to encounter are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Chianti, Barolo, Barberesco, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Shiraz, Sangiovese, Malbec, Tempranillo, Grenache, Bordeaux, and Côtes du Rhône.

I would like the list or red wines classified by darkness, but I am not sure if I am going to get it.  I found the Fish Eye wines shiraz is a lot darker than the 5L bag of Franzia "Chillable Red" that I bought.

Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-coloured (black) grape varieties. The actual colour of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines.

The juice from most black grapes is greenish-white; the red colour comes from anthocyan pigments (also called anthocyanins) present in the skin of the grape; exceptions are the relatively uncommon teinturier varieties, which produce a red colored juice. Much of the red-wine production process therefore involves extraction of colour and flavour components from the grape skin.

Types of red wines
Syrah (or Shiraz)
(Sah-ra or Shi-raz) Syrah and shiraz are two names for the same variety. Europe vintners only use the name syrah.  While shiraz is used to produce many average wines it can produce some of the world’s finest, deepest, and darkest reds.

Merlot
(Mare-lo) Easy to drink. The softness of Merlot has made it an "introducing" wine for new red-wine drinkers.

Cabernet sauvignon
(Ca-burr-nay so-veen-yaw) Widely accepted as one of the world’s best varieties. Cabernet sauvignon is often blended with cabernet franc and merlot. It usually undergoes oak treatment.

Malbec
(Mal-bek)

Pinot noir
(Pee-know na-wahr) One of the noblest red wine grapes. Pinot noir is difficult to grow, rarely blended, with no roughness.

Zinfandel
(Zin-fan-dell) Perhaps the world’s most versatile wine grape, making everything from blush wine (White Zinfandel), to rich, heavy reds.

Sangiovese
(San-gee-oh-ve-zee)

Barbera
(Bar-bear-a) Not as popular as Merlot but with similar attributes.

None of my searches were particularly informative for my search criteria, but it looks like I am back to:

Wine color
The thicker the skin, usually the richer the color. The darkest, richest and fullest red wines are made from deeply pigmented, thick skinned grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petite Sirah.

Alright! I found it!  There is even a nifty color scale on the following webpage, and they list the wines by color darkest first:

Defining Full Bodied Red Wines

Full-bodied red wines are characterized by their mouth-coating density. So what are the biggest full-bodied red wines out there? Pay attention to a wine’s color and you’ll notice darker wines tend to be bolder. This is because a large portion of the flavor comes from the skins of the grapes. As you may already know, some grapes have thicker skins than others.

Start by learning the 10 blackest grapes on the face of the planet. Then, understand techniques winemakers use to bring out the biggest, boldest flavors.

    Douro Reds Indigenous grapes from the Douro including Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional taste of fresh blueberries and violets.
    Petite Sirah High tannin and blackberry are prevalent flavors in the natural cross of Syrah and esoteric French variety Peloursin.
    Mourvedre Meaty flavors and black in color make this wine a popular selection to a small group of hardcore followers.
    Shiraz A marketing success for Australia in the late 1980′s, it worked because of Shiraz’s sweet tobacco finish
    Syrah Tasting of black olives to Red Velvet cake, Syrah hits your palate upfront and tapers off to the tingle of acidity.
    Nero D’Avola A value wine from Sicily tasting of licorice, black cherry and leather. Oak aging deepens and makes Nero D’Avola lush and opulent.
    Malbec Grown in high altitudes to increase acidity, this black-staining grape has blueberry and vanilla flavors when aged in oak.
    Priorat An area with extreme schist-rock soils that uses Grenache and Cabernet to make very inky, highly sought-after wines.
    Cabernet Sauvignon* The classic full-bodied red wine from France that outputs pepper and cedar flavors along with loads of fruit
    Merlot* When aged in American oak, merlot has higher tannin and savory tobacco flavors along with the classic taste of black cherry pie.

Health effects of wine

Wine and health is an issue of considerable discussion and research. Wine has a long history of use as an early form of medication, being recommended variously as a safe alternative to drinking water, an antiseptic for treating wounds, a digestive aid, and as a cure for a wide range of ailments including lethargy, diarrhea, and pain from child birth.[2]

Ancient Egyptian Papyri and Sumerian tablets dating back to 2200 BC detail the medicinal role of wine, making it the world's oldest documented man-made medicine.[3] Wine continued to play a major role in medicine until the late 19th and early 20th century, when changing opinions and medical research on alcohol and alcoholism cast doubt on the role of wine as part of a healthy lifestyle and diet.

In the late 20th and early 21st century, fueled in part by public interest in reports by the United States news broadcast 60 Minutes on the so-called "French Paradox", the medical establishment began to re-evaluate the role of moderate wine consumption in health.

Red grapes are high in anthocyanins, which are the source of the color of various fruit, such as red grapes. Anthocyanins have been found to be powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, therefore it is possible that one of the mechanisms at work to explain why red wine has been associated with improved health is the significant presence of anthocyanins in red wine. The darker the red wine, the more anthocyanins present. This suggests therefore the darker the red wine the more effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory the red wine.

[Jhanananda]

Yesterday I drank 5oz (148ml) of Franzia "Chillable Red" roughly every hour for the day hoping for some relief from a growing inflammation cycle.  I found none.  In fact today the inflammation was so severe I could barely get in the van and drive to the food bank. 

On my way back from the food bank, in considerable pain, I stopped at the grocery store and purchased a 3L bag of Fish Eye wines shiraz.  When I got home I drank 5oz (148ml), then an hour later I drank one more, then I took an hour nap.  When I woke up I was free of inflammation.  So, Anthocyanin is turning out to be a very useful anti-inflammatory; and the pail red wines are looking to be useless as anti-inflammatories.  In conclusion, if I am looking for an anti-inflammatory, then the darker the red wine the better; and only 5oz (148ml) of Fish Eye wines shiraz will work very effectively as a maintenance does of Anthocyanin.

Anthocyanins
The Possible Health Benefits of Anthocyanin Pigments and Polyphenolics
Anthocyanins
Anthocyanins
Anthocyanins

[Jhanananda]

I ran out of shiraz a few days ago.  My back was good during that time.  I also ran out of money, so I could not buy any more Anthocyanin sources.  Fortunately a check arrived and cleared the bank yesterday, so I bought a 5L box of cabernet sauvignon.  I examined closely a 5oz glass of the wine and noticed that it was not nearly as dark as the shiraz. 

This morning I observed an increase in joint inflammation.  There can be a number of reasons for this increase in inflammation, but perhaps it is because I have not had any Anthocyanin in a few days, and/or the cabernet sauvignon is too low in Anthocyanin.  There is also currently a level I radio blackout solar weather event occurring.

It took 2 5oz (148ml) doses of cabernet sauvignon spaced roughly a few hours apart for relief from inflammation to occur today.

[Jhanananda]

The first 5 are clearly due to anthocyanin.  Recently I switched from shiraz red wine to cabernet sauvignon.  So far it appears to be 1/4 as effective.  So, it is back to shiraz. I have heard of tumeric being antimflammatory.  Since it has a bright yellow color, it suggests that it too might be high in anthocyanin.

[Jhanananda]

It occurred to me that my low-carb diet happens to be very low in vitamin C.
nutritional value of grapes

A grape is a fruiting berry of the deciduous woody vines of the botanical genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making wine, jam, juice, jelly, grape seed extract, raisins, vinegar, and grape seed oil. Grapes are a non-climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy    288 kJ (69 kcal)
Carbohydrates 18.1 g
Sugars 15.48 g
Dietary fiber 0.9 g
Fat 0.16 g
Protein 0.72 g
Vitamins
Thiamine (B1) (6%) 0.069 mg
Riboflavin (B2) (6%) 0.07 mg
Niacin (B3) (1%) 0.188 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5) (1%) 0.05 mg
Vitamin B6 (7%) 0.086 mg
Folate (B9) (1%) 2 μg
Choline (1%) 5.6 mg
Vitamin C (4%) 3.2 mg
Vitamin E (1%) 0.19 mg
Vitamin K (14%) 14.6 μg
Trace metals
Calcium (1%) 10 mg
Iron (3%) 0.36 mg
Magnesium (2%) 7 mg
Manganese (3%) 0.071 mg
Phosphorus (3%) 20 mg
Potassium    (4%) 191 mg
Sodium (0%) 2 mg
Zinc    (1%) 0.07 mg

nutritional value of wine

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 5 fl oz serving
 
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 0
Calories 124
 
% Daily Values*
Total Fat 0g    0%
     Saturated Fat 0g    0%
     Polyunsaturated Fat 0g    
     Monounsaturated Fat 0g    
Cholesterol 0mg    0%
Sodium 7mg    0%
Potassium 147mg    
Total Carbohydrate 4.03g    1%
     Dietary Fiber 0g    0%
     Sugars 1.17g    
Protein 0.1g    
 
Vitamin A 0%       Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 1%       Iron 3%

So, it looks like fermentation production destroys the Vitamin C in grapes.