Definition: oenotherapy

Wine has been used as a medicine because of the minerals and tannins it contains. Theories explaining the French paradox now make it possible to counterbalance the policy of prevention against the risks associated with alcohol consumption. This policy has a real impact on the sector's economy.
Folk medicine claims that wine should retain its place in preventive medicine, but this applies in particular to red wine, as white and rosé wines are said to have little health benefit. Consuming one to two glasses of red wine per day is said to provide real prevention.
Champagne wine, warmly recommended by its promoters as an antidepressant and anxiolytic:
Champagne is highly recommended in oenotherapy on the grounds that it "dispels nausea and boosts morale". In 1718, Canon Godinot, in his treatise on Champagne wines, asserted: "Of all wines, there is none better for health than a grey Champagne wine, or one with a partridge eye colour".
Its qualities:
Its carbon dioxide comes solely from secondary fermentation and is not artificial, as is the case with some sparkling wines and carbonated drinks.
Champagne does not irritate the stomach despite its very low pH. It does not impair digestion but improves it by dissolving fats and preventing bloating.
Like all dry white wines, it is diuretic and helps eliminate excess fluids.
It is rich in assimilable mineral salts, particularly potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur, and therefore has purifying, detoxifying and anti-inflammatory properties. It is effective against rheumatism, colds and allergies.
It also contains trace elements, including zinc, which is useful for regulating nerve impulses. Before the use of anxiolytics, champagne was recognised as an antidepressant and anxiolytic. It also contains phosphorus and lithium, which are important for regulating mood.
Recommended dosage by connoisseurs: as an initial treatment, three flutes a day for one month, and as a maintenance treatment, one flute a day, allows you to enjoy all its benefits and a good mood. It should be noted that there are no oenotherapy services in hospitals, no specialised teaching in universities, and that the studies that are published are often commissioned and analysed by people with an interest in the wine industry.
The opposite of oenotherapy is alcoholism.
See also "Wine therapy".