[Drinking a Small Amount of Wine Daily May Protect the Heart, Study Finds
Drinking a small amount of wine each day may protect the heart, according to a new study of Spanish people following the plant-based Mediterranean diet. The study, published in the European Heart Journal, found that drinking one-half to one glass of wine a day reduced the risk of having a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke by 50% when compared to people who drank no wine.
The study examined a group of people over 60 at risk for heart disease who were part of an ongoing Spanish study investigating the impact of a Mediterranean diet on people at risk for heart disease. The participants were asked about their typical food and drink and were required to provide a urine sample used to measure tartaric acid, a chemical excreted in urine that is naturally found in grape products such as wine.
However, critics say the study doesn’t consider the well-known health harms of alcohol, including wine. “While the study suggests that low to moderate wine consumption may lower CVD (cardiovascular) risk, it is not an all clear to crack open a bottle of red wine,” said Tracy Parker, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation. “It is well-documented that excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to heart health.”
The study’s senior author, Dr. Ramon Estruch, said that the study examines the importance of moderate wine consumption within a healthy dietary pattern, such as the Mediterranean diet. “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,” he said.
However, others say that the study’s results only show an association, not causation. “There may be other things that people who consume this amount of wine did in the study that helped reduce their risk,” said Paul Leeson, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Oxford. “For one thing, the study was performed in people who were also eating a heart-healthy diet. Maybe the health advantages of a glass of wine are only seen when being drunk alongside a plate of Mediterranean food?”
Experts also caution that many people don’t accurately measure their wine pours, and that excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to heart health. “People often say that ‘wine is good for the heart’ but we also know too much wine is ‘not good for the heart’,” said Paul Leeson. “There are much healthier ways to protect one’s heart and overall health than drinking, such as eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise, as well as maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking.”
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