Wine Information Council

Moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages and red wine may have beneficial effects on processes that are involved in atherothrombosis. A healthy diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish, low in dairy products and with moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages and red wine is associated with a better cardiovascular health. Endothelial dysfunction (*) and low-grade inflammation are key factors in the development of cardiovascular diseases and seem to be influenced by diet. The diet of 822 participants was assessed by a…

The results of this large British study showed that the association between alcohol intake and mortality risk was moderated by physical activity. Among drinking “couch potatoes” (inactive participants not meeting the recommendation of minimal physical activity per week), a clear dose-response risk for cancer mortality - from drinking within the guidelines and up to a harmful level - was observed. High consumption of alcoholic beverages is linked to an increased risk of all-cause and cancer mortality and certain cardiovascular diseases…

This meta-analysis suggests that moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages is associated with a significantly decreased risk of gallstone disease. Chinese epidemiologists carried out a meta-analysis to quantitatively summarize the evidence from observational studies on alcohol consumption and the risk of gallstone disease. The results showed that the highest versus the lowest category of alcohol intake was associated with a statistically significant 38 % lower risk of gallstone disease. There was no difference between men and women, both had a statistically…

In this large prospective study, the researchers showed an umbrella-shaped association between the total intake of alcoholic beverages and the longitudinal change of the “good” HDL cholesterol. The decrease of HDL-cholesterol with age was lowest among moderate drinkers. Higher levels of the “good” HDL-cholesterol (HDL) are believed to be protective against cardiovascular disease and greater consumption of alcoholic beverages has been associated with higher HDL concentrations in a dose-response manner. As HDL is known to decrease with age, American and…

As soon as a new study confirms that moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages compared to abstinence is associated with a lower cardiovascular disease risk, critics challenge these findings referring to the “sick quitters” in the reference group. Their main argument is that in the reference group, former drinkers who quit drinking for health reasons will be misclassified as abstainers. The current study with nearly 2 million participants refutes this argument and confirms the J-shaped association of moderate consumption of alcoholic…