Those who enjoy an occasional tipple may take heart from a study that suggests a glass of wine may actually be good for some of us.
The Spanish study, published in the European Heart Journal on Wednesday, found that drinking a small or moderate amount of wine may lower the risk of serious cardiovascular disease in people at a higher risk – as long as they ate a Mediterranean diet.
Researchers from the University of Barcelona said earlier studies on the effects of wine on cardiovascular health have produced inconsistent results.
They suggested this was partly because they relied on people reporting how much wine they drank.
In the latest study, researchers instead measured the amount of a chemical, called tartaric acid, in participants’ urine.
“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,” the study’s lead, Professor Ramon Estruch from the University of Barcelona and the Hospital Clinic Barcelona, said.
“We have found a much greater protective effect of wine than that observed in other studies. A reduction in risk of 50 per cent is much higher than can be achieved with some drugs, such as statins.”
Tartaric acid is a chemical naturally found in grapes and grape-derived products such as wine. It is excreted in urine, meaning it can be measured to show if someone has drunk wine or eaten grapes in past five to six days.
The research is part of a larger Spanish study investigating the effect of a Mediterranean diet – one that is 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.
It involved more than 1200 people who had no cardiovascular disease at the start of the study. But they had either type-2 diabetes, or a combination of cardiovascular disease risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, being overweight and/or a family history of cardiovascular disease.
Participants were followed up for four to five years. During that time, there were 685 cases of cardiovascular disease (heart attack, coronary revascularisation, stroke or death from cardiovascular disease) during the study.
The research found the risk of developing a cardiovascular event fell by half in light-to-moderate wine drinkers, defined as consuming half to one glass of wine per day, compared to those drinking very little or no wine.
Light drinking (between one glass a week and less than half a glass a day) reduced cardiovascular risk by 38 per cent. However, the protective effect disappeared in people who drank more than one glass a day.
“This study examines the importance of moderate wine consumption within a healthy dietary pattern, such as the Mediterranean diet,” Estruch said.
“Until now, we believed that 20 per cent 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 researchers took account of other factors known to influence the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, they did acknowledge that the design of their study meant it could show only a link between drinking wine and cardiovascular events – other factors could not be ruled out.
There findings also had other qualifications.
“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,” Estruch
“Another key question is at what age moderate wine consumption could be considered ‘acceptable’.”
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