Red-wine vinegar dates back as far as 5000 B.C. following the discovery of wine. It has become a favorite health food, commonly used as a dressing for salads and sandwiches while watching your waistline. A closer look at this tart dressing, reveals that not only does it have palate-pleasing qualities, but regular consumption may impact your heart health.
Nutrition Facts
A quick glance at the nutritional facts label of red wine vinegar illustrates its popularity on the diet market. Pouring a portion over a lunchtime salad or adding an extra kick to any sandwich will not add much to your daily calorie count or contribute to your fat or sugar intake. One tablespoon contains 4 calories, no fat, no sodium and no sugar. Red wine vinegar is a rich source of phenols and acetic acid, both of which are recognized for their health benefits.
Effect on Hypertension
This age-old dressing seems to offer a mere splash of flavor if you only glance at the nutrition facts label. Despite its sparse contribution to your daily vitamin and mineral intake, red wine vinegar has been studied for its potential positive effects on the cardiovascular system. In 2005, "The Biological and Pharmacology Bulletin" published a study in which researchers discovered that a beverage of red wine vinegar and grape juice reduced the renin-angiotensin system, or RAS. RAS is responsible for regulating blood pressure and water balance in the body. Increased activity of this system results in increased blood pressure. Therefore, the inhibitory effects of the red-wine vinegar beverage on RAS reduce hypertension.
How Red Wine Vinegar Impacts Hypertension
The 2005 study was conducted on rats and has yet to be performed on humans. Nonetheless, a 2006 review by the Arizona State University Department of Nutrition says that researchers speculate that the acetic acid in red wine vinegar promotes the absorption of calcium. Increased calcium absorption is known to inhibit RAS in humans. This mechanism of action further suggests that red wine vinegar will reduce hypertension.
Human Studies
Although the results as of 2011 were inconclusive for humans, an earlier study in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," followed several women over the course of 10 years who rarely or regularly consumed oil and vinegar and had no history of heart disease. Of these women, those who consumed oil and vinegar regularly were five to six times less likely to die from fatal ischemic heart disease than those who rarely consumed oil and vinegar. These researchers speculate that this combination, which is high in alpha linoleic acid and has no saturated fat, suppresses abnormal rhythms of the heart.
References
- "Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin"; A Red Wine Vinegar Beverage Can Inhibit the Renin-Angiotensin System: Experimental Evidence in Vivo; S. Honsho et al.; July 2005
- Medscape General Medicine; Vinegar: Medicinal Uses and Antiglycemic Effect; C.S. Johnston, C.A. Gaas; May 2006
- Livestrong.com My Plate; Red Wine Vinegar Nutrition
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Dietary Intake of Alpha-Linolenic Acid and Risk of Fatal Ischemic Heart Disease Among Women; F.B. Hu; May 1999
