Great news for all you white wine enthusiasts out there! While most people might think that the saying "a glass a day keeps the doctor away" refers to red wine, a recent study has proved white wines have equivalent cardiovascular benefits. The study, which was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, compared antioxidant effects of resveratrol, which is in red wine, with tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol which are found in white wine. The conclusions of this study, conducted by the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, suggested that white wine and red wine are equally efficient in preventing blockage of the arteries and in improving heart function.

A component in olive oil is known to be partly responsible for the heart healthiness of the Mediterranean diet. It just so happens to be that the type of antioxidant composition common in white wines is comparable to that of the antioxidant composition in olive oil. With this said, not all white wines are as powerful as red wines in the way of heart health. In the study they tested many different types of wines from all over the world and it turned out that Western European white wines, especially from Italy and France, were most rich in hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol.

Along with cardiovascular health, studies have shown white wine also benefits us by helping to prevent breast cancer and lung diseases. The University of Buffalo School of Medicine researchers found that regular consumption of white wine betters lung health in a 2002 study. In regards to breast cancer, researchers from the University of Wisconsin discovered in a 2010 study that white wine protects cells from breast cancer just as well as red wine does.

Another reason why white wine tops red wine is it creates less of a hangover. Chemical byproducts of alcohol fermentation, called congeners, are responsible for hangovers. The more congeners an alcoholic beverage contains, the darker the drink is. Consequently, white wines produce less of a hangover than red wine because it is lighter and therefore is comprised of less congeners.

Remember, regardless of what type of wine you choose to drink, the key to obtaining the health benefits is limiting consumption to one to two glasses a day.