Numerous studies have found that moderate consumption of alcohol lowers the risk of heart disease, and some studies have suggested that the best alcoholic beverage to consume in order to enjoy these benefits is red wine. Does red wine lower cholesterol and/or help to prevent heart disease?
Moderate alcohol consumption and heart disease
Although research has yet to reveal exactly why or how, the best evidence is that moderate intake of red wine protects the heart by increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL, the ‘good’ cholesterol), and in other ways. It’s difficult to completely separate the beneficial effects of red wine from those of other factors, such as a healthy diet, an active lifestyle, and the absence of smoking, but it appears safe to state that red wine is beneficial, and more beneficial than other alcoholic beverages.
Andrade et al compared healthy adults with adults who had high blood pressure and/or high total cholesterol levels and found that the benefits of drinking red wine differed between these groups. If further study confirms their results, then healthy adults are the ones who stand to benefit the most from drinking red wine.
Positive health effects of red wine
Opie and Lecour discuss the various ways that red wine is thought to support heart health:
- Increase in HDL: studies indicate that half of the protective effects of drinking red wine come from the increase in HLD cholesterol. Wine may drive HDL up by inducing increased production in the liver.
- Resveratrol: resveratrol is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and is thought to have a variety of effects on blood vessels, the heart, and metabolic processes including blood glucose regulation.
- Procyanidins: flavonoids present in red wine are also antioxidants and may have diverse effects on cell metabolism that are beneficial. Some of these play a role in preventing oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the ‘bad’ cholesterol).
Some of these effects are not dependent on the alcohol present in wine and studies have shown health benefits from drinking dealcoholized red wine and even grape juice.
What is moderate alcohol consumption?
Studies define moderate alcohol intake in men as two to four drinks daily, and in women as one to two drinks each day. For wine, one drink would be about five ounces, or 150 ml. It has been suggested that the positive effects may be greatest when the wine is taken with a meal.
A number of studies have shown what is referred to as a J-shaped curve: the risk of heart disease is increased in both people who do not drink alcohol, and people who consume more that the recommended moderate amount.
Sources
Andrade, Ana CM, Fernando HY Cesena, Frenanda M Consolim-Colombo et al. “ Short-term Red Wine Consumption Promotes Differential Effects on Plasma Levels of High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, Sympathetic Activity, and Endothelial Function in Hypercholesterolemic, Hypertensive, and Healthy Subjects.” Clinics 64:5, 2009.
Opie, Lionel H. and Sandrine Lecour. “The Red Wine Hypothesis: From Concepts to Protective Signalling Molecules.” European Heart Journal 28: 14, 2007.
Sacanella, Emilio, Mo’nica Va’zquez-Agell, Mari Pau Mena et al. “Down-regulation of Adhesion Molecules and Other Inflammatory Biomarkers after Moderate Wine Consumption in Healthy Women: a Randomized Trial.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 86:5, 2007.
Rosemary Drisdelle - Rosemary Drisdelle has been published many times as a nonfiction writer and several times as a poet. Her first book, Parasites: Tales of ...
Join the Conversation