Red wine and wine pomace reduced the development of insulin resistance and liver steatosis in HFD-fed mice

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. While moderate wine consumption eliminates various components of the syndrome, alcohol consumption is not recommended for NAFLD. Aim: To investigate the potential benefits of red wines, containing different polyphenol levels, and pomace on hepatic health and glucose tolerance in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. HFD-fed mice were supplemented with red wine, prepared according to different maceration protocols: short (SM), regular (RM) or long maceration (LM), non-alcoholic wine, equivalent doses of ethanol, or pomace. Maceration time was found to affect the beneficial properties of wine; LM, but not SM or RM-wine, improved glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and hepatic steatosis. Pomace, the main waste product of wine industry, improved all parameters measured: body weight gain, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and hepatic steatosis thus might be used as a supplement with beneficial health outcomes, without the concerns regarding adverse effects of alcohol.