Benefits of rice wine Essay

Louis Pasteur said that wine is the most healthful and the most hygienic of all beverages. It can give the human body 500 calories that are normally taken from fats and carbohydrates. All these energy is completely consumed by the body and will not add an ounce of the body weight (Lichine, et al. 1968). There are several health benefits that can be derived from wine. Aside from being a healthy beverage, it was said that wine can deter food poisoning. It can help wipe out the bacteria that are responsible for food-related stomach problems. In addition, red wine reduces the build-up of fat cells in the arteries, thus it protects those who are wine-drinker against heart disease. Recent studies in medicine show the positive effects of moderate wine consumption to the heart. One of the popular findings is the â€Å"French Paradox.† France is considered both as land of wine-producers and wine-drinkers. It is one of the countries with highest amount of saturated fat intake which is positively correlated with arteroschlerosis, yet there is low incidence of coronary heart disease (Landrault, et al. 2001). Some of the locally produced wines include â€Å"basi† (sugarcane wine), â€Å"laksoy† (nipa wine), â€Å"tapuy† (rice wine) and â€Å"tuba† (coco wine). On the other hand, she discussed the challenges to today’s wine manufacturers such as production of consistent quality products, competitive advantage in terms of product presentation (packaging, label, closure or seal), innovative products, willingness to work hard to establish a thriving business, protecting the natural flavor of the product, identifying functional properties of the product, expand cultivating area for minor but potential fruits for making wine, and utilization of by-products from wine processing. http://www.bar.gov.ph/chronicle-home/archives-list/142-august-2008-issue/2207-learning-about-tropical-fruit-wine-processing This type of wine, when compare to other regular wine, contain a higher level of alcohol content. Regular wine usually contains 10%-20% alcohol but rice wine contains 18%-25%. Unsurprisingly, it has way more alcohol content that beer which only contains about 4%-8% of alcohol. It is natural to think that drinking too much of this wine, or any other alcoholic beverage for that matter, is  bad for the body. It will have side effects such as nausea, hangover, blurry vision, lost balance and lost muscle control. The side effects might be felt earlier when drinking rice wine because of its higher alcohol content. However, there are also other health benefits from wine made from rice. It has been tested to help improve the skin’s protective function and also in skin whitening. In effect, it is concluded that rice wine may be a potential protectant from UV-induced skin aging phenomena. In addition, rice wine has also been linked to promote better blood circulation and enhanced body metabolism. There are citric and lactic acids in rice wine which helps the digestion of the food. When food is properly digested, nutrients are better sorted out and transferred to the proper body organ. There is also research that specially brewed medicinal rice wine can have more beneficial effects than other regular wines. Some consider rice wine to be more healthy than wine from grapes because rice wine contains large amount of protein, sugar and vitamin B2. These factors have been shown to regulate blood sugar, plus vitamin B2 supports the liver giving it more energy to assist with alcohol digestion. The kojic acids in rice wine (sake) decrease your skin’s ability to form the type of melanin found in age spots and freckles. If you put sake on your face or use skincare products containing sake or kojic acid, you’ll also find the rice wine keeps moisture in your skin. Turns out it may just be the most bar-and-body-friendly beverage the country has ever built a national and export marketing strategy around. â€Å"It’s low proof with an alcohol content of 6-7 percent,† notes Sung Ki-wook, a director at the Seoul Rice Wine Manufacturing Association, â€Å"so people with a lower tolerance can enjoy it.† â€Å"It contains lots of lactobacilli and fiber, matching the current ‘well-being’ trend in our society,† adds Kooksoondang Brewery spokesman, Shin Woo-chang. Of course, low alcohol content, gastro-intestinal benefits and a tricky nickname have never buoyed a drink’s popularity all that much even during the best of times. Especially a drink derived from steaming glutinous rice that’s traditionally quaffed from an unwashed wooden bowl. Nutrition Facts Calculated for 1 fl oz Amount Per Serving %DV Calories 14 Calories from Fat 0 (0%) Total Fat 0.0g 0% Saturated Fat 0.0g 0% Monounsaturated Fat 0.0g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0g Trans Fat 0.0g Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 181mg 7% Potassium 25mg 0% Total Carbohydrate 1.8g 0% Dietary Fiber 0.0g 0% Sugars 0.0g Protein 0.1g 0% This wine should be named â€Å"rice beer† because it is fermented from a grain and not a fruit. The Japanese have developed two kinds of rice wine; one being sake and the other a dry one. Red rice wine is a sweet wine, which has low alcohol content. Used in both cooking and drinking. There are three varieties available: Mirin: a sweet wine pronounced MEE-reen. Sake: white wine pronounced SAH-kee. Shaoxing wine: Chinese rice wine. Substitutions; sake or sherry. Chia Fan, Shan Nian and Yen Hung are Chinese rice wines. plural: rice wines Ingredient Season: available year-round How to select: Also sold as â€Å"sweet cooking seasoning† Substitutions: Mirin: 1 tbsp dry sherry +  ½ tsp sugar, OR sherry, OR heat two parts sake and one part sugar, OR white wine and sugar to taste OT white wine. Sake: Shaoxing wine or Vermouth, dry white wine, or dry sherry. Read more: http://www.food.com/library/rice-wine-97?oc=linkback