Moderate red wine consumption has been associated with decreased cardiovascular risk, reduced mortality, and improved cholesterol profile. Multiple studies have shown that red wine is more beneficial in reducing the risks of mortality in general when compared with other alcoholic beverages such as spirits, beer and white wine. HDL cholesterol has been found to be increase with red wine consumption in numerous studies. (37)
A parallel four-armed intervention studied the relationship between cardiovascular disease (CVD) and wine drinkers. Sixty-nine men and women aged 38-74 years old were randomized to either 1: red wine (males: 300 ml/day, 38.3 g alcohol/day, female subjects: 200 ml/day, 25.5 g alcohol/day), 2: water + red grape extract tablets (wine-equivalent dose), 3: water + red grape extract tablets (half dose), or 4: water + placebo tablets. At the end of the 4-week study period, results showed that moderate alcohol consumption in the form of red wine is associated with beneficial changes in blood lipids and fibrinogen that may help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. (38)