Are there really health benefits to drinking Red Wine? Some things you may not have considered…
This has been an ongoing debate. There is mixed research on the topic, some claiming health benefits, others not. Anyone on Discovery Vitality knows that zero alcohol intake scores far better than one a day! Let’s take a look at the key points including an important factor that has been overlooked.
Recap on the benefits and potential downsides of drinking Red Wine
A variety of studies on the health benefits of wine have been carried out over the years with different findings, some noting benefits, and others risks.
So why do we score low on Vitality and other health tests if we consume wine?! Well, the downside, although in some studies it shows that Wine has benefits, others show that alcohol in general, is not. The biggest risk would be that it is carcinogenic (as are many foods that we consume), and that there is therefore not a recommended “safe” amount of alcohol consumption. (6).
More recent studies look at the white and grey matter in the brain where it is suggested that even mild consumption can potentially have negative effects. (7)
That said, if one takes a close look at the findings of one of the white and grey matter studies, it may be somewhat subjective as to what constitutes “unsafe”. Look at this chart from the above mentioned study (excuse the low res reference below). A glass of wine (150mls) is approximately 1.8 units. In some cases it was noted to be a concave (improved) response from 0-1 units, then slightly reduces from 1 unit. When you consider just how much the brain reduces due to age (8), this is not necessarily significant. The study also quantified it by computing what it would be in relation to ageing. (9) The findings show that an increase from 0-1 units of alcohol would be equivalent of 0.5 years at age 50, and 1-2 units would be the equivalent of 2 years at age 50.
The most significant, negative impact from alcohol, in our opinion, happens from around 5-6 units and for grey matter in males from around 4-5 units.
For the above reasons we only encourage drinking if it is in moderation and believe that Wine is to be enjoyed but not abused.
The Overlooked Benefit
In The Great Big Wine Survey carried out in 2022, participants were asked to choose from an array of answers to complete the following two sentences, and these were the two most chosen answers:
Question 1: “My perception of wine is that”…..
Answer: “It is for relaxing.”
Question 2: “Drinking wine makes me feel”…
Answer: “Relaxed and free of obligations”
What does this mean? Well, if you are familiar with cortisol you will know what it’s effects are. High levels of cortisol have been known to include weight gain (especially in the face and abdomen), fatty deposits between the shoulder blades, diabetes, hypertension, hirsutism in women, proximal muscle weakness, and osteoporosis. (10). Cortisol has often been referred to as the stress hormone.
If by consuming moderate portions of wine assists the majority of us in feeling more relaxed and free from obligation, then a reduction in stress can well be an associated benefit if it can reduce cortisol levels. Of course over-consumption can have the opposite affect!
Conclusion
Wine has been associated with both benefits and risk. We encourage you to decide whether the benefits outweigh the risks, and to consider drinking in moderation if you are concerned about the risks. If through your own research you believe that the risks are too great, then consider de-alcoholosed wine which is becoming increasingly popular and use extraordinary techniques to capture those well known wine notes.
If you believe the benefits outweigh the risks, then apart from the benefit of reducing stress, why not reduce stress by shopping online. The survey also found that not having enough understanding of wine was also a barrier preventing people from drinking wine, so allow us to assist in any way we can. Browse our Wine Shop online and read through the description of the wine, or contact us at [email protected].
If you are concerned with over-consumption, then possibly consider a monthly delivery of 6 bottles that can last you the month and will only deliver on the first week of each month. We offer 3 different options, read more about our online Wine Club.