Vintage health drink

You've read reports about the health benefits of wine, but how much of it is true? More than 100 scientific reports since 1991 provide strong evidence that wine consumption prevents heart disease. But didn't some studies point to red wine over white? And wasn't there some suggestion that grape juice is just as beneficial?

Other research has linked alcohol with damage to the liver, pancreas, muscles, bones and--get this--the heart. Yet, 20 years of epidemiological studies have correlated alcohol consumption with longevity and a reduced risk of heart disease, hypertension, cancer, peptic ulcers, respiratory infections, gall stones, kidney stones, bone density and cognitive function. More recent reports indicate that wine improves memory, combats breast cancer and impotence and reduces the risk of a heart attack.

Honestly, it's enough to drive one to drink.

Now, we've reviewed the latest data and uncorked the facts about wine. You've heard of the French Paradox: The French eat 30 percent more fat than North Americans but suffer 40 percent fewer heart attacks. Evidence is compelling that French consumption of red wine with meals countermands their fatty diet.

But there are several paradoxes to consider. Alcohol brings both risks and benefits. According to the December 1996 issue of Circulation, alcohol-related diseases account for 100,000 deaths in the United States annually. However, if current US drinkers stopped drinking, heart disease-related deaths would increase by 80,000 a year.

And moderate alcohol consumption has been proven healthier than heavy drinking, light drinking-or not drinking at all.

The issue of exactly what's behind wine's health benefits may not be entirely settled. For instance, wine drinkers' lifestyles may be a factor. But still some generalizations can now be made.

Does the research show conclusively that alcohol reduces cardiovascular mortality? Yes. There is conclusive evidence from many studies worldwide to show that alcohol consumption in moderation lowers cardiovascular and stroke mortality. Among numerous other research papers, a Harvard Medical School study revealed that men who drink moderately--two to six alcoholic drinks per week--are healthier overall than heavy drinkers (two or more drinks per day) and light drinkers (less than one drink per week). In 1997, American Heart Association research found similar results, noting that people who consume five drinks a day have three times the stroke risk of nondrinkers.

Is it alcohol or wine in particular that confers these benefits? The answer is both. Population studies in more than 20 different countries now clearly show that alcohol itself increases HDL, or "good" cholesterol, and reduces LDL, the "bad" cholesterol. But further, many research reports indicate that the antioxidants in red wine are more protective than other types of alcohol in preventing atherosclerosis.

Every glass of wine contains about 200 different polyphenols, and many are antioxidants, which slow the damaging cell oxidation process. In a 1996 Brazilian study, rabbits were fed a high cholesterol diet with red wine, red wine without alcohol or no wine at all. After three months, the aorta was examined for fatty plaques. Among rabbits not given any wine, 60 percent of aortas were lined with plaques; this declined to 50 percent in rabbits fed the non-alcoholic red wine; and to 40 percent among rabbits given alcoholic red wine. The authors suggested that flavonoids, present in fruits, vegetables and red wine, "[prevent] the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, a step that facilitates plaque formation."

Research shows wine is a particularly rich source of flavonoid polyphenols, particularly resveratrol and the flavonoids: tannins, quercetin, anthocyanins, catechins and oligomers. They prevent formation of arterial plaque, and are linked with a reduction in breast cancer cells.

Grape juice also helps reduce plaque, but it takes three times as much grape juice to produce the same effect. Wine's alcohol acts as a solvent, extracting greater amounts of flavonoids.

Is red wine better than white? Yes. Red wine contains grape seeds and skin. In white wine production, skins and seeds are removed, so flavonoid levels are much lower.

Does it matter when wine is consumed? It might. Several studies, including a 1995 University of Buffalo report, conclude that overall heart and longevity benefits are more pronounced when wine is consumed with meals. Drinking with dinner may assure that the protective effects of both alcohol and wine are strongest after an evening meal, and they carry over to morning when most heart attacks occur.

Our latest conclusions? It's a green light for red wine. Enjoy some grape nutrition.

beneficial brew

Dutch researchers say that moderate consumption of beer can boost blood levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the "good" cholesterol, by as much as 12 percent--and in just three weeks.

This would decrease the risk of heart disease significantly. This news is particularly notable because earlier studies have shown that an increase of just 2 percent in HDL cholesterol dramatically lowers heart disease risk.