- New research suggests that low to moderate wine consumption as part of the Mediterranean diet could help lower the risk of heart disease.
- Experts caution there are health risks associated with daily alcohol consumption that should be considered.
- Lifestyle factors such as a healthy diet, daily exercise, and adequate sleep are more productive ways to promote heart health.
Is the occasional glass of wine good for your heart?
New research is adding to the debate over whether drinking a moderate amount of wine daily can provide health benefits, including lowering the risk of heart disease.
The study, published December 18 in the European Heart Journal, reports that drinking a small or moderate amount of wine with adherence to a Mediterranean diet may lower the risk of serious cardiovascular disease by as much as 50%.
“We have found a much greater protective effect of wine than that observed in other studies. A reduction in risk of 50 percent is much higher than can be achieved with some drugs, such as statins,” said lead study author Ramon Estruch, a professor at the University of Barcelona and researcher at the Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Spain, in a news release.
“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 percent 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,” Estruch continued.
Is wine in moderation good for your heart?
The latest research is part of a larger Spanish study that looked into the effects of a Mediterranean diet on people with a higher risk of developing heart disease.
The participants in this large cohort had no cardiovascular disease at the start of the research, but they did have either type 2 diabetes or a combination of heart disease risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.
For the new study, researchers looked at 1,232 participants from the group. During a follow-up period of 4 to 5 years, 685 of the subjects developed cardiovascular disease.
In the group of people with a high risk of cardiovascular disease who were following a Mediterranean diet, researchers reported that the risk was lowered by 50% in people who were light-to-moderate wine drinkers. That was defined as drinking a half glass to one glass of wine per day.
The researchers added that people who drank between less than a half glass and one full glass of wine per week reduced their cardiovascular disease risk by 38%.
They noted that the health benefits disappeared in people who drank more than one glass of wine per day.
The participants completed questionnaires about what they ate and drank, but they also submitted urine samples at the beginning of the study and after a year of following a Mediterranean diet.
The urine samples were used to measure tartaric acid, a chemical naturally found in grapes and grape-derived products such as wine. This type of acid is excreted in urine and can used to show if someone has consumed wine and/or grapes in the previous five to six days.
Eric Rimm, ScD, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, said urine biomarkers are an important component of this research. Rimm wasn’t involved in the study.
“This particular finding is a small component of how the Mediterranean diet may contribute to better cardiometabolic health,” Rimm told Healthline.
“Wine has been a part of this health diet pattern for centuries, and this novel biomarker helps identify a specific compound that is tied to grape consumption. By examining this as a biomarker, it removes some of the concerns about accurate reporting of usual alcohol consumption,” he noted.
The debate over wine and health benefits
There has been conflicting data on whether daily wine consumption can contribute to better health outcomes.
Some research has concluded that red wine in particular may improve cardiovascular health as well as lower the risk of dementia, depression, and insulin resistance.
However, it has also been noted that excessive drinking can dramatically increase the risk of heart disease, cancer, liver cirrhosis, and other chronic health conditions.
Some experts have noted the decrease in cardiovascular disease risk among wine drinkers may be due to the fact the people in Mediterranean countries tend to have a healthier diet and a healthier lifestyle.
However, several experts contacted by Healthline who weren’t involved in the study said that while the new research has its merits, the issue of whether wine, or any alcohol, has health benefits is, at best, muddled.
“The study adds yet more information to the ongoing debate on the health effects of moderate wine consumption. As with all observational studies, the direction of causality cannot be certain,” said Cheng-Han Chen, MD, an interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in California.
“Throughout decades of research, we have not found a clear benefit of wine/alcohol intake to heart health,” Chen told Healthline. “Conversely, we know a lot about the harms of drinking. Because of this, the World Health Organization states that no amount of alcohol use can be considered safe or beneficial.”
Rigved Tadwalkar, MD, a consultative cardiologist and medical director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in California, told Healthline the study “provides intriguing insights into the potential cardiovascular benefits of light-to-moderate wine consumption, particularly for individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease who are adhering to a Mediterranean diet.”
“However, it is important to note that while the study demonstrates a correlation between moderate wine consumption and reduced cardiovascular events, it does not establish causation,” Tadwalkar said.
“The study, while robust, remains observational, which means confounding factors cannot be entirely ruled out. Also, the study population consisted of older adults at high risk of cardiovascular disease in a Mediterranean country, which limits the generalizability of the findings to other populations or age groups,” he noted.
Jayne Morgan, MD, a cardiologist and vice president of medical affairs at Hello Heart, says one of the issues is the chemical resveratrol, which is found in the skin of grapes and other foods.
The compound has been credited in the past with lowering heart disease risk as well as helping prevent type 2 diabetes and improving memory.
“Part of the conflict lies in resveratrol, which is a compound in many red wines that is purported to have cardiovascular benefits,” Morgan told Healthline.
“However, the American Heart Association aptly points out that the risks of alcohol intake outweigh any potential benefits for most individuals. Resveratrol is not as protective as previously touted and not worth the intake of wine or alcohol in order to try to achieve the benefits,” she added.
Tadwalkar also expressed caution about the purported benefits of wine.
“The debate over wine consumption and its health implications is long-standing and complex,” he said. “While prior studies have suggested that light or moderate wine intake, particularly red wine, may confer cardiovascular benefits, these findings are not universally accepted and recent research challenges this notion.”
How much alcohol should you drink?
Alcohol use, in general, has also been studied extensively for its potentially harmful effects on human health.
Perhaps this is why the World Health Organization (WHO) declared in 2023 that no amount of alcohol consumption is considered safe.
A 2023 study stated that even one drink per day can increase a person’s blood pressure. A 2024 study reported that even moderate drinking can raise a person’s risk of cancer.
Current U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend that females limit their alcohol use to one drink or less per day while males should have two drinks or less per day.
The guidelines note that people with certain medical conditions, including pregnancy, as well as people who are taking medications should avoid alcohol altogether.
“In general, I recommend that people limit their alcohol consumption as much as possible as we have not found a clear health benefit to drinking, only harm,” said Chen.
“For those who already consume and plan to continue, moderation and context are key,” added Tadwalkar. “While mild to moderate alcohol intake could offer some health benefits, particularly in the setting of a balanced diet, the potential risks should not be underestimated.”
“For individuals who do not currently drink alcohol, there is certainly no need to start for health reasons,” he added.
Tips tower your cardiovascular disease risk
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for males, females, and people of most racial and ethnic groups.
In 2022, more than 700,000 people in the United States died from heart disease.
Experts agree that lifestyle factors are the important components to reducing cardiovascular disease risk. Among the beneficial factors are:
- a healthy diet
- regular exercise
- adequate sleep
- managing weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure
- reducing stress
- avoiding tobacco
“There are certainly safer ways to improve health other than drinking red wine, such as eating a heart healthy diet, exercising, managing blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, weight, and stress,” said Morgan. “Plus, if you smoke, quit, and avoid secondhand smoke. Moreover, know your family history and get genetic screening if indicated.”
“To effectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, individuals should focus on a comprehensive approach that includes a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and lifestyle modifications,” added Tadwalkar.
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, such as those found in olive oil and nuts, is foundational. The Mediterranean diet, a topic of this research study, has been shown to be particularly beneficial for heart health.”
Rimm said moderate alcohol consumption is only one part of the equation.
“Alcohol is only a small part of cardiovascular health,” he noted. “Diet, sleep, body weight, physical activity, blood pressure, total HDL cholesterol, and reduced stress [are important]. Wine can be part of that, but only a little and spread out over the week. This new great study from Spain has results to suggest that this is still a very good message.”
Takeaway
A new observational study suggests that low to moderate wine consumption in conjunction with a Mediterranean diet could help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
However, the study can’t draw firm conclusions about causation, which may warrant further research.
There has been conflicting research on whether moderate use of alcohol can provide health benefits, with current evidence suggesting little to no health benefits at all.
Experts say lifestyle factors such as a healthy diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep are more productive ways to achieve this goal.
