A weekly bottle of wine, when paired with a Mediterranean diet, could be as beneficial for your heart as statins, according to new academic research. While some studies have indicated that wine can have positive effects on heart health, others have warned that excessive consumption can be harmful.
Most research into the health implications of wine has relied on participants self-reporting their alcohol intake, which researchers suggest may be “prone to measurement errors”. Therefore, academics decided to investigate an “objective” indicator of wine consumption in urine by examining levels of a chemical known as tartaric acid.
They use data from a study exploring the effects of a Mediterranean diet – rich in olive oil, vegetables, fruits, nuts and fish, and low in sweets or processed food and drink – on the health of older adults from a Mediterranean population at high risk of heart disease. The 1,232 participants not only completed questionnaires about their dietary habits but also provided urine samples at the beginning of the study and again one year later.
After four or five years of follow-up, there were 685 instances of heart disease, including heart attacks, strokes, or deaths from cardiovascular disease. According to the study, published in the European Heart Journal, individuals who consumed three to 12 glasses of wine each month had a 38% lower risk of heart disease compared to those who drank less than one glass of wine per month.
Those who enjoyed 12 to 35 glasses of wine each month were found to have a 50% lower risk of heart issues, but the benefits decreased with higher consumption levels. The study’s findings suggest that “Light to moderate wine consumption, measured through an objective biomarker (tartaric acid), was prospectively associated with lower CVD (cardiovascular disease) rate in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk,” according to the researchers, reports Gloucestershire Live.
Professor Ramon Estruch from the University of Barcelona, who led the study, explained: “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.”
He further noted: “This 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.
“The participants in our study were older people at high risk of cardiovascular disease living in a Mediterranean country, so the results may not apply to other populations. Another key question is at what age moderate wine consumption could be considered ‘acceptable’ – recent studies indicate that the protective effects of wine consumption are observed starting from the age of 35 to 40. It is also important to note that moderate consumption for women should always be half that of men, and it should be consumed with meals.”
Professor Paul Leeson, a leading consultant cardiologist and professor of cardiovascular medicine at Oxford University, added: “People often say that ‘wine is good for the heart’ but we also know too much wine is ‘not good for the heart’. So how do we judge what the right amount might be? Existing research has often relied on studying what people report they drink and, for lots of reasons, self-reported wine consumption may not be accurate.
“The major strength of this study is that they have used a chemical measure in the urine to quantify how much wine was being consumed, rather than what someone says they are drinking. The study shows that drinking somewhere between three and, at most, 35 glasses of wine a month was associated with a reduction in risk. Anything over this amount and the benefit disappeared.
“So, no more than a bottle of wine a week, or, at most, 10 units of alcohol. Another important thing to remember is that the study still just reports an association – there may be other things that people who consume this amount of wine did in the study that helped reduce their risk.
“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?”