With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I thought it was appropriate to mention some of the heart healthy benefits of drinking a glass of red wine! Phenolic compounds, such as polyphenols, found in red wine have recently become a hot topic of interest in the realm of food science. Polyphenols have proven to be beneficial to human health, particularly due to the compounds antioxidant ability, and its capacity to be a free radical scavenger (1,2).

In a recent study examining the effects of polyphenols and alcohol present in red wine on glucose metabolism and its effect on lipid profile, researchers concluded that red wine, containing high amount of polyphenols and ethanol, as well as grape juice without alcohol, enhanced metabolism of glucose (2). Similarly, another study showed that participants who consumed daily moderate amounts of wine might experience meaningful reductions in cardiovascular disease contrasted to participants who were abstinent, or participants who consumed excessive quantities of alcohol (1).

Epidemiological studies, from several countries, have compared dietary patterns as they relate to frequency of disease (3, 4, 5). These studies have shown that drinking a moderate amount of red wine daily, as observed in France, exhibits a protective effect from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, therefore journalist have dubbed the phenomenon “The French Paradox (1).” Furthermore, increases in “good” HDL cholesterol, and reduced production of “bad” LDL cholesterol have been strongly correlated with moderate alcohol consumption (6).

The take home message! Wine consumption in moderation, particularly red wine may reduce the risk of heart disease and enhance glucose metabolism. Moderation is key! The current recommendation for females is 1 drink per day, and up to two drinks per day for males (1 drink is considered a 5 oz glass of wine, roughly 125 calories). However, keep in mind that most restaurants don’t serve a 5 oz glass of wine, a typical pour can be anywhere from 8 oz to 12 oz, and these extra calories from sugar can start adding up quickly! Perhaps try a wine spritzer (wine and sparking water), or try to cut down to one 5 oz serving a day. Here is a great article about various red wines and their caloric content. Enjoy responsibly!

1) German, J. B., & Walzem, R. L. (2000). The health benefits of wine. Annual review of nutrition, 20, 561.

2) Chiva-Blanch, G., Urpi-Sarda, M., Ros, E., Valderas-Martinez, P., Casas, R., Arranz, S., … & Estruch, R. (2012). Effects of red wine polyphenols and alcohol on glucose metabolism and the lipid profile: a randomized clinical trial. Clinical Nutrition.

3) Estruch, R., Ros, E., Salas-Salvadó, J., et al. (2013). Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet. The New England journal of medicine, 368(14), 1279-1290. doi:10.1056/nejmoa1200303

4) Keys, A. (1995). Mediterranean diet and public health: personal reflections. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 61(6), 1321S-1323S.

5) Nestle, M. (1995). Mediterranean diets: historical and research overview. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 61(6), 1313S-1320S

6) Kiortsis, N. D., & Simos, Y. (2014). Mediterranean Diet for the Prevention and Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome: Is it Worth It?. Angiology, 65(5),1-7. DOI: 10.1177/0003319712470866