Wellness Foods - August 2008 - (Page 14)

Healthy Spirits The p.i.n.k. line was created to enable consumers to enjoy their favorite cocktails while experiencing the beneﬁts of caffeine and guarana. THAT’S THE SPIRIT! The idea of ‘better-for-you booze’ might seem like an oxymoron, but brewers and distillers are toasting the emerging market for nutraceutical-enhanced alcoholic beverages. — By David Feder, RD, Contributing Editor ou could say the idea of healthy booze began with the so-called “French paradox.” When researchers found the French, who drink wine and enjoy rich cheeses and butter, had lower rates of cardiovascular disease rates than Americans, some reasoned it must be something in the wine. It turns out they were correct, at least in part. Today, a slew of compounds in wine are known to help protect against heart disease and cancer. Quercitin, ellagic acid, resveratrol and other polyphenolic compounds are examples of such ingredients. And ethanol itself is also known, in moderation, to help prevent heart disease. In fact, new research suggests a number of other heath bene ts springing from both polyphenols and ethanol, including cold and u prevention and the bactericidal action against the Streptococcus mutans bug implicated as the cause of cavities. However, not everyone drinks alcohol, and even those who do might not necessarily want to consume enough to derive suf cient physical bene t. Still, there’s no denying the value of such bene cial compounds. Over the past several years this has translated into a growth market for companies extracting the valuable wine phytochemicals and providing them to a rapidly growing healthy food, beverage and supplement indus- Y try. Companies such as San Joaquin Valley Concentrates (www.activin.com), Fresno, Calif.; Polyphenolics Inc. (www.polypheolics.com), Madera, Calif.; and Metagenics Inc. (www.metagenics.com), San Clemente, Calif. now form a part of this multimillion-dollar business. Add-ins Infusing nutraceutical compounds or botanical extracts into alcohol makes sense. Even up until the beginning of past century, pharmacists often made medicines in the same manner. Pharmaceutical labs today often use ethanol in similar albeit more complicated and labcontrolled processes. Last year, p.i.n.k. Spirits Co. (www.pinkspirits. com), New York, rolled out its line of infused spirits. The company’s six products in the line include vodka, tequila, rum, sake, white whiskey and gin, all laced with guarana and caffeine. As the “ rst company in the world to create ultra-premium alcohol that does not make the consumer tired,” the p.i.n.k. line “enables consumers to enjoy their favorite cocktails while experiencing the bene ts of caffeine and guarana,” according to David Mandell, president and CEO. The challenge, however, is that guarana is dark colored and has a tart, almost bitter avor. “It took 14 | August 2008 www.wellnessfoodsonline.com Food Processing’s Wellness Foods™ http://www.activin.com http://www.polypheolics.com http://www.metagenics.com http://www.pinkspirits.com http://www.pinkspirits.com http://www.wellnessfoodsonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Wellness Foods - August 2008

Wellness Foods - August 2008 Balance for Boomers Vitamins for Eye Health Nutraceutical Spirits New Views on Fiber

Wellness Foods - August 2008

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