February 26, 2017
Fruit Benefits of Wine

Fruit Benefits of Wine

by Berkeley Wellness  |  

Q: If juice counts towards my daily quota of fruits and vegetables, what about wine?

A: Sorry, wine is not included in government guidelines about optimal intake of fruits and vegetables. Wine does contain healthful plant chemicals, but no fiber and hardly any vitamins or minerals.

In contrast, six ounces of fruit juice does count as a serving of fruit if it is 100 percent juice, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, though whole fruits are preferable. Fruit juice contains much less fiber and a lot more calories—almost all from sugar—compared to whole fruit.

By the way, to find out how much produce you should eat, go to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's special website. This provides personalized advice based on your age, sex and level of physical activity. If you’re a relatively inactive 60-year-old woman, for instance, the site says you should consume 1½ cups of fruit and two cups of vegetables, based on a 1,600-calorie daily intake; if you’re a very active 50-year-old man, 2½ cups of fruit and 3½ cups of vegetables, based on a 2,800-calorie intake.