Wine and Health

There is a vast and very current discussion about the health
benefits and harms of wine. Much has been said and written about
both. Let’s take a look at some of the nuances of the most
commonly referenced arguments.

According to a study by the University of Coimbra in 2016, ‘wine
is an alcoholic drink made from the fermented juice of grapes, and
is considered a functional food because it has characteristics
that make it a food with beneficial properties for health,
especially due to its antioxidant properties, an aspect that is
increasingly valued by consumers’. The same study warns, however,
that due to chemical-physical and biological aspects of the human
organism, this positive effect on health can be compromised and
even not occur.

Two main antioxidants can be found in wine: resveratrol, found
mainly in red wine, and flavonoids or tannins. Both have been
mentioned for their potential benefits for cardiovascular health
and their anti-inflammatory properties.

According to a Mayo Clinic publication in 2023, some studies have
shown that regular and limited alcohol consumption can help the
heart, as it can help increase HDL (‘good’) cholesterol and
prevent the formation of blood clots or damage to the arteries
caused by high levels of LDL cholesterol, also known as ‘bad’
cholesterol. This doesn’t mean, as the American Heart Association
and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute point out, that
you should start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease.

It should also be considered that dependence and excessive
consumption of alcohol clearly have harmful effects on human
health and can lead to or aggravate certain diseases.

In this analysis, it is also important to remember that other
factors may be also increasing these benefits, when we talk about
people who drink alcohol in moderation, such as regular physical
exercise, choosing a healthy diet on a daily basis and regular
monitoring of physical well-being.

Looking at both perspectives, we subscribe to a concept that Hippocrates defended more than two thousand years ago: