If you’ve had a rough week at the office, chances are you’ve sat down with a glass of wine to unwind from the hell that is your demanding boss.
It’s true that wine can do wonders for your mood, and science suggests it can be great for your heart, your brain, and your muscles, too. Some research suggests that red wine even has cancer-fighting properties.
But is the hype surrounding red wine too good to be true? We talked to the experts to find out if your nightly glass of vino is doing you any favors. Here’s what they had to say about the science behind red wine and what the drink actually means for your health.
How Does Red Wine Compare to Other Booze?
Red wine has always been touted for its health benefits due to its concentration of polyphenols, particularly resveratrol, which is found in the skin of grapes. These antioxidants may work to reduce inflammation in your body, a marker that commonly plays a role in the progression of heart disease.
But the thing is, the health benefits of red wine aren’t entirely different from the perks you’d get from drinking any other kind of alcohol in moderation, like spirits or beer, says Eric Rimm, Sc.D. professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
While it’s true that polyphenols may be good for your heart, the amount you get in red wine is actually really small compared to eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day, says Rimm.
In fact, research published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that resveratrol had no link to rates of heart disease, cancer, and death. That’s because most other studies concerning resveratrol’s benefits have been performed on animals in high doses, so scientists are not entirely sure how it impacts humans who consume it in natural amounts, the study authors note.
“The reason that some of this discussion started was because there were lots of mouse studies done where they isolated some polyphenols from red wine and gave it to mice,” explains Rimm. “In some cases, they did see great benefits. The problem was, for a human to get that benefit, they would have to have 8 to 10 bottles of red wine a night.”
It’s more likely that the actual alcohol in wine, not necessarily the polyphenols alone, are giving your health a boost, he says. “If you have a shot of gin, a 5-ounce (oz) glass of red wine, or a 12-oz can of beer, they all have about the same amount of alcohol.”
People who drink moderate amounts of alcohol in controlled studies, regardless of the kind they sip, tend to have consistently better blood markers, he explains. (The current U.S. Dietary Guidelines define moderate as up to two drinks per day for men. One drink equates to 12 oz of beer, 8 oz of malt liquor, 5 oz of wine, or a 1.5 oz shot of 80-proof distilled liquor, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC].)
When you drink moderate amounts of alcohol, your good HDL cholesterol increases, your blood clot risk can go down, and your body’s ability to sense insulin and glucose might improve, explains Rimm. In fact, there are more than 100 studies that find moderate drinking can lower your risk of heart attack.
But there’s one word that’s important to remember here: moderation. When you drink more than the recommended amount, the health implications can get a little dicey.
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Can Drinking Red Wine Ever Be Risky?
Approximately eight to 10 percent of the U.S. population has a drinking problem, says Rimm. “For those people, the healthiest amount of alcohol to drink is zero,” he explains. The CDC defines heavy drinking as 15 or more drinks per week, and binge drinking as five or more drinks during one occasion.
That’s because you don’t just become an alcoholic overnight, and all heavy drinkers start out as moderate drinkers. It’s impossible to predict who will be impacted by alcoholism, even though researchers suspect that your family history can come into play, says Rimm.
Drinking too much alcohol has also been tied to various health issues, like liver disease and various types of cancer, says the CDC.
With that being said, there is a way to enjoy wine and all it has to offer responsibly.
So, What’s the Best Way to Drink Red Wine?
“When people ask me about wine, the first thing I say is don’t worry about your beverage type,” explains Rimm. Red wine isn’t a magical elixir that can erase the cheeseburger and fries you slammed for lunch. Instead, it should be part of the bigger picture of what it means to eat for your health.
Think of it this way: If you tend to fill your plate with lots of lean protein, healthy fats, and vegetables—all staples of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet—then red wine will certainly supplement the benefits you’d get from those nutrient-dense foods, he explains.
But if you’re chowing down on a pile of fast food? You might want to skip the wine, says Keri Glassman, R.D., founder of Nutritious Life. You’re likely already consuming a lot of calories, and sipping on red wine because it’s “healthy” compared to the rest of your meal is just going to rack up that number. One 5-oz glass of red wine will serve you roughly 125 calories.
“It’s the same with chocolate,” she says. “Sure, chocolate has some benefits, but I wouldn’t tell someone to start eating it if they don’t already have sweets.”
If you’re really looking to amp up your antioxidant intake, start by filling your plate with dark leafy greens, blueberries, green apples, broccoli, or even nuts and seeds, says Glassman. Those options offer other nutritional perks, like fiber and protein, too. (Find delicious ways to turn those foods into meals with the Metashred Diet from Men’s Health.)
Bottom line: More research needs to be done to pin down exactly how booze affects people differently. Science strongly suggests that red wine—and alcohol in general—has the potential to be good for your body when you sip in moderation, especially if you don’t have a prior history of alcoholism and eat a solid diet. Just keep in mind that vino should serve to enhance that nutritious diet, not act as the foundation of one.
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