There are repeated reports that wine in particular has a protective effect on the heart. Spanish researchers also came to the same conclusion.
It is well known that alcohol is a neurotoxin. According to WHO figures, 2.6 million people worldwide die every year as a result of consumption. And Germany is one of the countries with the highest consumption.
In the past, there have been repeated studies suggesting that moderate alcohol consumption can have a protective effect, particularly on the heart. This also applies to a new analysis from Spain.
A team from the University of Barcelona collected data from 1,232 participants. Their goal was to study the effects of the Mediterranean diet on the risk of heart disease.
It is made up of fresh and, if possible, unprocessed foods. The basis is vegetables, legumes, whole grain products, fruit, salads, fish and seafood as well as cold-pressed olive oil. It is seasoned primarily with Mediterranean herbs and garlic. However, meat, eggs, dairy products, white flour, salt and sugar should only be consumed in small quantities. The Mediterranean diet has a positive effect on risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar and blood fat levels, and in this way helps to prevent heart and vascular diseases – according to the German Heart Foundation.
The subjects suffered from type 2 diabetes or had risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure and/or were overweight or obese. Many also had a family history of heart disease.
On average, they were 68 years old at the start of the study. They provided information about their diet and the team measured the level of tartaric acid in their urine both at the beginning and at the end. This provides information about the consumption of grapes and wine in the five to six days before the sample was taken.
During the observation period of almost five years, there were 685 cases of cardiovascular disease (such as heart attack or stroke) in the group.
Those participants who consumed half a glass to a glass of wine every day alongside the Mediterranean diet had half the risk of heart disease as those who did not drink alcohol at all. However: The effect disappeared when consuming more than one glass of wine.
Experts are quite skeptical about the results of the study. “Although the study suggests that low to moderate wine consumption can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, opening a bottle of red wine is not a given,” said Tracy Parker, senior nutritionist at the British Heart Foundation.
There are far healthier ways than alcohol to protect the heart and overall health, such as a balanced diet and regular exercise, as well as maintaining a healthy body weight and not smoking.
Another point of criticism: People usually don’t measure the amount of wine they consume. This would quickly exceed the recommended four ounces (approx. 120 milliliters, roughly more than half a glass of wine).
“People often say ‘wine is good for the heart,’ but we also know that too much wine is ‘not good for the heart,'” said Paul Leeson, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Oxford. It is also important to note that the results of the study only showed a connection, not a causal connection.
“Perhaps the people who drank that amount of wine in the study also did other things that reduced their risk,” Leeson argues. “On the one hand, the study was carried out on people who also had a heart-healthy diet. Perhaps, on the other hand, the health benefits of a glass of wine are only noticeable if it is drunk with a plate of Mediterranean food?”
His colleague Naveed Sattar, Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow, is even clearer: “I would urge people to drink as little as possible if they want to live a healthier life. The wine paradox is a myth and this article adds to that, Nothing new is added to what is already known.”
In Germany, the following guidelines apply for low-risk alcohol consumption:
- Women should not drink more than 12 grams of alcohol per day, i.e. no more than a small glass of wine (0.125 liters)
- For men: no more than two small glasses of beer (0.6 liters)
- You should not drink alcohol on at least two days a week to reduce the risk of addiction.
Other countries are taking different paths. Since the beginning of 2023, the Canadian Center on Substance Use and Addiction has recommended avoiding alcohol completely. “If you must drink at all, a maximum of two drinks per week is considered low-risk,” the alcohol guidelines state.