A Comparison of the Antioxidant Potential of Wine and Beer

ABSTRACT The antioxidant properties of two beers (an ale and a lager) and of two wines (a red Cabernet Sauvignon, and a white Chardonnay) have been compared using a range of assays: the Trolox assay, superoxide scavenging, hydroxyl scavenging and β‐carotene bleaching. When compared on an ‘as is’ basis, the red wine was shown to contain much more antioxidant potential than the other beverages with all the assays except the β‐carotene bleaching assay, which compares the ability of agents to prevent lipid oxidation. In this assay, beer performed best. When the beverages were compared on an equivalence of polyphenol basis, the superior performance of red wine was not evident, indeed white wine was the most potent in the Trolox assay and the superoxide scavenging tests, with beer again proving its superiority in the β‐carotene bleaching test. The study highlights the pitfalls of simply assuming that the superior performance of one product in a single assay means that it is inherently preferable as a source of antioxidants and pertinent issues remain the ability of the anti‐oxidants to access the tissues where they can exert a beneficial effect and the mode in which a substance needs to act in order to have a desirable impact on bodily health.