(Q105) Many of us have heard the claim that having a glass of red wine is good for you. There are even several studies backing this claim.
According to the Mayo Clinic, red wine in limited amounts has antioxidants that may help prevent coronary artery disease, the condition that leads to heart attacks. A study from 1997 tracked 490,000 in the U.S. for nine years, and researchers found that those who reported having at least one alcoholic drink per day were 30 to 40 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who didn’t drink. Some researchers have reached similar conclusions with their studies. But what if this is no longer the case?
The New York Times reported that today, more research shows that even one glass of wine per day can increase your chances of developing conditions like high blood pressure and an irregular rhythm. “Both of which can lead to stroke, heart failure, or other health consequences,” a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic shared with the outlet.
Red wine and the “French paradox.”
The idea that red wine is healthy took off in the 1990s when the “French paradox” was first introduced to Americans in a 60 Minutes episode, as reported by VeryWell Health. They pointed out that a few French epidemiologists said that although the typical French diet was high in saturated fat, the French had much lower instances of heart disease. They attributed this paradox to the “Mediterranean Diet and, specifically, to moderate red wine consumption.”
Red wine is not necessarily an elixir of life.
There may be some benefits to red wine but it’s not necessarily healthy. A 2020 study published in the European Journal of Public Health found that a majority of alcohol studies were funded or supported by the alcohol industry. So, there’s a chance that the alcohol industry may have added incentive to promote red wine as a “healthy” drink.
