A heart surgeon has given his definitive view on the long-running debate about whether red wine offers health benefits. For years, contradictory guidance has emerged regarding the potential advantages of alcohol consumption, with red wine receiving particular attention.
Numerous media stories over the decades have explored the supposed benefits of drinking red wine, particularly for cardiovascular health. Significant interest has also centred on the "French paradox", which examines why French people often enjoy better health outcomes than Brits despite appearing to consume more wine and rich foods such as butter and cream.
Even researchers and medical professionals recognise the confusing messages. In a 2023 study, scientists noted "strong controversy persists regarding the effect of red wine consumption and health".
They stated: "Guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancers discourage alcohol consumption in any form, but several studies have demonstrated that low red wine intake may have positive effects on cardiovascular diseases risk."
However, Dr Jeremy London has delivered an unambiguous verdict on the matter, reports the Mirror. The board-certified cardiovascular surgeon with 25 years of expertise stated: "Alcohol falls into [the] category of something that's toxic to every cell in the body so I think limiting or entirely avoiding alcohol just makes good sense."
Is red wine good for you?
When questioned directly about red wine and the notion that it was meant to be "good for your heart", he explained: "The truth is that red wine and, in fact, the grape do contain polyphenols, which are antioxidants — think of them as anti-inflammatories — specifically resveratrol... and it has been found to dilate blood vessels. The amount of red wine you would have to drink to get a therapeutic level of resveratrol, however, would be astronomical. And the risks of the alcohol would far outweigh any benefit that you got from the resveratrol.
"What would be the takeaway? If you enjoy red wine, drink red wine. But don't drink red wine because you think it's good for your heart."
The British Heart Foundation also recognises that red wine contains antioxidants, but states: "However, other foods – including grapes, blueberries and strawberries – provide antioxidants without the negative effects of alcohol."
It continued: "BHF-funded research published in 2018 looking at the effect of alcohol consumption on heart and circulatory diseases concluded that the risks outweigh the benefits, and drinking more than the recommended limits will have a negative effect on your health. It's therefore not a good idea to drink wine to protect your heart."
In a recent report, Vivek Murthy, the former surgeon general of the US Public Health Service, cautioned that alcohol consumption had been directly associated with at least seven forms of cancer: mouth, throat, larynx, oesophagus, breast, liver and colon and rectum. He further cautioned that even light or moderate drinking can elevate an individual's cancer risk.
Meanwhile, Dr Ernest Hawk, vice president and head of the division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, stated to the New York Times: "There is no safe level of alcohol when it comes to cancer risk."
Yet, in the 2023 study referenced earlier, published in the PubMed Central journal, researchers indicated that an analysis of multiple other studies demonstrated red wine intake "mostly results in improvements in antioxidant status, thrombosis and inflammation markers, lipid profile, and gut microbiota, with conflicting results on hypertension and cardiac function".
The study noted: "Notably, beneficial effects were observed on oxidative stress, inflammation, and nephropathy markers, with a modest decrease in CVD risk in five out of seven studies that evaluated the effect of red wine consumption."
However, it highlighted that these investigations were primarily carried out amongst patients with type 2 diabetes and were short-term trials, emphasising that further long-term research is required to validate these advantages and evaluate the potential hazards linked with consuming red wine.
What are anti-oxidants?
Antioxidants are nutrients that combat free radicals within our bodies. Several vitamins, including vitamins E and C, act as antioxidants. Our bodies are teeming with free radicals, which perform crucial functions vital for our health - for instance, as Healthline highlights, our immune cells utilise free radicals to combat infections. However, an overabundance of them can be detrimental.
If the balance tips in favour of free radicals over antioxidants, it can result in a state known as oxidative stress. This condition is associated with numerous diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It's often triggered by factors such as alcohol consumption, smoking, excessive stress, and an unhealthy diet.
