Is A Daily Glass Of Wine Actually Good For You?

It’s not often that alcohol is recommended as a way to boost your health. Yet for some time now, an appealing line of research has suggested a glass of red wine a day could be beneficial for the heart. However, a new study has stripped our daily Merlot of its halo. 

The Red Wine Health Myth Has Been Debunked (Again)

The notion that red wine may have health benefits began to circulate in the 1990s. It was thought to explain the ‘French paradox’: the fact that France has relatively low rates of heart disease, despite the country’s traditional rich diet.

Most studies into the potential perks of red wine have focused around its high content of polyphenols, which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Some scientists have even dangled the idea that moderate consumption of red wine could help us live longer. 

Sadly, though, this has been somewhat debunked by new evidence from the University of Victoria. The study suggests that previous research may have been fatally flawed, as it compared moderate drinkers with those who have had to give up alcohol for health reasons – meaning they’d likely already be in worse shape than their counterparts. ‘That makes people who continue to drink look much healthier by comparison,’ said Dr Tim Stockwell, who was involved in the research.

Scientists looked at 107 published studies, and at first it appeared light to moderate drinkers (those who drank between one drink per week and two per day), had a 14 percent lower risk of dying during the study period, compared with those who abstained completely. 

However, when they focused on a subset of higher quality studies – in which former and occasional drinkers were not considered ‘abstainers’ – these did not link moderate drinking to a longer lifespan. ‘If you look at the weakest studies, that’s where you see health benefits,’ Stockwell said.

This isn’t the first piece of evidence pointing us away from the red wine adage. Research funded by the British Heart Foundation, published in 2018, concluded that the risks of drinking alcohol outweigh the benefits, and in 2022, scientists from the European Society of Cardiology found that drinking alcohol could actually increase the risk of developing heart issues. 

What Are The Weekly Alcohol Unit Recommendations?

Ultimately, alcohol is a toxic substance, and consuming it comes with health risks. In 2023, the World Health Organisation published a sobering statement saying no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health, and the NHS has revised its previously held position that some level of alcohol is good for the heart.

Nonetheless, many of us enjoy a glass of wine from time to time, so – as with most things in life – moderation is key. The NHS states that if you drink less than 14 units a week, this is considered low-risk, advising: ‘It’s recommended to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 days or more. That’s around 6 medium (175ml) glasses of wine, or 6 pints of 4% beer. There’s no completely safe level of drinking, but sticking within these guidelines lowers your risk of harming your health.’

If you feel you need support with your alcohol consumption, you can get individual advice from drinkaware.com.