Red Wine Benefits

The present 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 drinking red wine in moderation increased HDL (“good”) cholesterol by 11–16% and decreased fibrinogen (a protein that plays a key role in blood clotting) by 8–15% compared with drinking water with or without red fermented grape extract. The findings suggested that it was the alcohol component of red wine that is causing these beneficial effects. In conclusion, moderate alcohol consumption in the form of red wine and other beverages is associated with beneficial changes in blood lipids and fibrinogen that may help to reduce the risk of CVD. (4)