A bottle of wine a week could protect your heart, says study
The link between drinking alcohol – especially wine – and heart health is very much still up for debate, even after decades of research.
While some studies have previously suggested that drinking wine may lower your chances of developing heart problems or even lower your chances of dying, the results have always been mixed, with many doctors erring on the side of caution and saying the safest amount of alcohol is probably close to zero.
But a new study, published today in the European Heart Journal, has found mounting evidence to suggest that drinking wine every night halves the risk of heart disease.
Here’s what we know so far...
The research
A team at the University of Barcelona looked into the effect of drinking a small or moderate amount of wine on people with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. They found that drinking a bottle of wine a week could be as good for you as taking statins, the cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Past research on wine’s impact on heart health has been mixed – mainly because it often depends on people self-reporting how much wine they drink. In this new study, however, the researchers took a different approach: they measured tartaric acid – a chemical found in wine – in participants’ urine. Researchers say this is an ‘objective and reliable measure’ of wine consumption.
Worth noting – the new research is part of a larger Spanish study investigating the effect of a Mediterranean diet (high in olive oil, vegetables, fruit, nuts and fish, and low in sweet or processed food and drink) on people with a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
The method
To investigate the effect of drinking wine on heart health, the Spanish researchers asked 1,232 people to complete a questionnaire about their eating and drinking habits. The participants didn’t have heart disease but were at higher risk because they either had type-2 diabetes or other risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, being overweight or a family history of heart problems.
In addition to filling out the questionnaire, the participants also gave urine samples at the beginning of the study and after a year of following a Mediterranean diet.
The researchers then measured tartaric acid, a chemical found in grapes and wine, which can be measured in urine to show how much wine someone has consumed over the previous five to six days.
Over the following four to five years, they tracked the participants to see who developed heart problems like heart attacks, strokes, or other serious cardiovascular issues. During that time, 685 participants had one of these health events. The researchers used this data to analyse whether wine consumption impacted their heart health.
The results
The study showed that people who drank wine in small to moderate amounts had a lower risk of heart disease.
Drinking 3–12 small glasses of wine a month lowered heart disease risk by 38% compared to those who drank less than one glass a month.
The biggest benefit was seen in those drinking 12–35 small glasses a month (up to one bottle a week). They had a 50% lower risk of heart disease.
For comparison, taking statins reduces heart disease risk by 25% over five years.
FYI: The researchers pointed out that drinking more than this reduced the benefits, and drinking over one glass of wine a day completely cancelled out the heart-health effects.
Professor Ramon Estruch, from the University of Barcelona and the Hospital Clinic Barcelona, who led the research, said: ‘By measuring tartaric acid in the urine, alongside food and drink questionnaires, we have been able to make a more accurate measurement of wine consumption.
‘We have found a much greater protective effect of wine than that observed in other studies. A reduction in risk of 50% is much higher than can be achieved with some drugs, such as statins.’
What does this mean for us?
This study suggests that drinking wine in moderation, especially as part of a healthy diet like the Mediterranean diet, could play a bigger role in protecting heart health than previously thought.
‘Until now, we believed that 20% of the effects of the Mediterranean diet could be attributed to moderate wine consumption; however, in light of these results, the effect may be even greater,’ said Prof Estruch.
The bottom line
Overall, this new study emphasises that small lifestyle changes – like light-to-moderate wine consumption within a healthy diet – could actually make a meaningful difference in reducing heart disease risk.
As always, moderation is key and your overall diet still matters. And remember, drinking too much cancels out any of the benefits, so it’s important not to overdo it and enjoy wine responsibly.
Read next:
Drinking coffee could help you live almost two years longer, says new study
The NHS wants older adults to avoid this popular winter supplement
Skipping breakfast in your 50s? Here's why it might be adding inches to your waistline
Cut through the noise and get practical, expert advice, home workouts, easy nutrition and more direct to your inbox. Sign up to the WOMEN'S HEALTH NEWSLETTER
You Might Also Like
