Surprising health benefit of red wine and how it can lower cholesterol
While it does provide a few benefits, remember too much alcohol is not good for you (Image: Getty)
The late doctor Michael Mosley once noted that a widely consumed drink could offer several health benefits, including helping to reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and decrease the risk of diabetes. Before his passing, he presented the BBC Radio 4 series Just One Thing, where he explained that drinking a small glass of red wine may help improve cholesterol levels.
While stressing that “all alcohol is bad for you”, the BBC series noted that you might want to replace your gin or beer with a glass of red wine. It read: “Red wine is rich in compounds called polyphenols, which naturally occur in plants. They have multiple beneficial effects: lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and even boosting your gut microbiome.”
The BBC Radio 4 page summarised a 2015 study in Israel involving 224 people with diabetes who did not typically drink alcohol. Participants were randomly assigned to consume red wine, white wine, or mineral water with dinner each evening for two years. The group that drank red wine experienced the most favourable outcomes, including improved cholesterol levels and, unexpectedly, better sleep quality.
The benefits don’t end there, as some red wine drinkers also showed improved blood sugar control, and the results are said to be more than just a coincidence. It was further explained: “This was no fluke: another study from Spain showed that drinking red wine can improve your body’s response to insulin, resulting in an ability to clear sugar from your blood more quickly.”
For optimal results, it was recommended to consume it alongside a meal, as the expert advised that this is a healthier option than having it on its own.
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Can it lower my risk of diabetes?
A long-term study of 312,000 people over about 11 years found that having a glass of wine with meals was linked to a 14% lower risk of type 2 diabetes. The benefit was only seen when wine was consumed with food and in moderation.
Healthy gut
Tim Spector, Professor of Epidemiology at King’s College London, also explained how red wine was shown to boost our microbiome, according to data collected from nearly 5,000 people: “What we found was that the red wine drinkers had a healthier, more diverse gut microbiome than non-drinkers. And generally, alcohol drinkers had worse microbiomes than non-drinkers.”
The gut microbiome is one of those rare things in the human body that isn’t influenced by our genes but purely environmental and under dietary control, he states. And it seems “red wine might actually – in small, modest amounts – be good for our guts”.
A diverse microbiome means having a wide variety of different bacteria in your gut. “Basically, you have a living pharmacy that’s able to produce much more healthy chemicals than you would otherwise be able to do,” explained Tim Spector, adding that “these are crucial to help your metabolism, and to help your immune system and to help your digestion”.
All alcohol is bad for you
“We’re definitely not saying that alcohol itself is good for you,” Dr Tim Spector stressed. The study showed that once you approach three glasses of red a day on average, you lose any benefit, with the experts saying that one glass with a meal is ideal.
“Looking at the studies, that would seem to be fine for most people,” he said. But not the whoppers you might get in the pub! “We’re talking about traditional French wine glasses where you’d get six to a bottle.”
While red wine may be the better choice, having a small glass or two a few times a week could support your gut bacteria and heart health.
Although alcohol may seem to help you relax or cope in the short term, regular or heavy drinking can harm your mental health over time. If you need advice and support, Drinkaware have urged people to seek support and check their online resources.
You can also try the free services below for further help, whether it is about alcohol or another mental health issue.
