Patriot Health Digest
While you have likely heard that wine is good for your body, you might want to put your glass of merlot on the counter for just a second.
Research released in the journal Clinical Nutrition says that no amount of alcohol is thought to be healthy to sip on. The investigators looked at over 440,000 adults and tracked their drinking—which included wine, beer, and spirits—for around seven years.
They discovered that drinking even limited quantities of spirits and beer was linked with a greater risk of heart health events, like coronary heart disease or stroke, along with cancer, and overall more mortality. The only healthy outcome was gotten by drinking red or white wine, which was revealed to lower the risk of coronary heart disease.
However, the study leader Rudolph Schutte, Ph.D. says that these same results were also seen by people who consumed non-alcoholic wine. This suggests that it was the antioxidant-filled grapes inside wine that are connected with a lower risk of artery plaque buildup. In fact, sipping some non-alcoholic wine is likely much better for your health that its alcohol sibling.
“Our findings reveal that even low amounts of alcohol can hurt your health,” he said in a comment.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse says that the Guidelines for 2020-2025 says that drinking in moderation means just two drinks per day for men and one for women.
“Even with this information, I am not surprised by the findings,” says Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN. “Grapes have a wealth of heart healthy nutrients, including potassium and polyphenols. In fact, research has proven that eating grapes supports heart health.”
She stresses that another bonus of drinking a glass of alcohol free wine will be seen on your scales. “Alcohol-free wine has less calories than normal wine because alcohol adds a lot to the number of calories,” says Largeman-Roth.
So if you are taking a break from drinking and wanting to purchase a healthy replacement in the form of non-alcoholic wine, she says you should do some digging beforehand.
“Alcohol-free wines vary from brand to brand, so look at your options online before you decide. You are more likely to get better information this way than by browsing at the store,” she says.
Author: Steven Sinclaire
