Moderate wine drinking – red or white – has been found to be beneficial to the heart especially if you also exercise regularly.
Researchers led by Professor Milos Taborsky in the Czech Republic conducted a randomised trial comparing the effects of red and white wine on markers of atherosclerosis in people at mild to moderate risk of CVD (cardiovascular disease). Flying in the face of previous research that has usually shown that the benefits of red wine (which is made with the wine sitting on the skins and seeds) far outweighed those of white, Taborsky goes further. His research found that moderate wine drinking (red or white) was significantly beneficial if you also exercised.
This research study included 146 people who all had a mild or moderate risk of heart disease. For a year, the people in the study were assigned at random to consume either red wine (pinot noir) or white wine (chardonnay-pinot).
The study showed that HDL levels in both the red and white wine consumers generally stayed the same after a year. LDL cholesterol dropped in both groups and total cholesterol was lower in the red wine group. So far so good.
But the scientists found that in people who exercised and drank moderately (about a glass of wine per day), HDL went up significantly and LDL went down for both red and white wines.
Professor Taborsky is a member of the European Society of Cardiology and presented his findings at the Annual Congress. The IVV trial is a long-term syudy
Go to: 12 ways to build a strong immune system
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Reference
Taborsky M, Ostadal P, Petrek M. A pilot randomized trial comparing long-term effects of red and white wines on biomarkers of atherosclerosis (in vino veritas: IVV trial). Bratisl Lek Listy. 2012;113(3):156-158.
