A glass of wine may slash risk of heart disease by 50%¡ªhere¡¯s what study says

As the holiday season unfolds and the new year approaches, wine lovers are certainly in for a treat. But did you know that amidst the festive cheer, here¡¯s an intriguing fact: drinking wine in moderation may actually help lower the risk of serious heart diseases?

Recent research at the University of Barcelona discovered that wine drinkers have a lower risk of developing heart diseases¡ªbut there¡¯s a catch. To come to this conclusion, the researchers conducted a test on over 1,232 individuals over five years, who particularly followed a Mediterranean diet but had an above-average risk of cardiovascular conditions like a heart attack or stroke.

According to Professor Ramon Estruch, one of the researchers, consuming between half a glass and a full glass of wine every day, on average, showed a 50 per cent lower risk of developing heart disease as compared to others.

Self-control is the key¡ªis the catch?

The researchers used a urine test for a chemical called tartaric acid to conduct the study, which revealed precisely how much people drank. This made the study more accurate than the earlier studies.

During the study, drinking wine occasionally but less than one glass per week can reduce the danger by 38 per cent, the researchers found. On the other hand, people who consumed more than one glass of wine each day, on average, got no protection. Moreover, a reduction in risk of 50 per cent is higher than can be achieved by taking some medications, such as statins, the study noted.

Protective effects of wine

While writing in the European Heart Journal, Prof. Estruch said that they have found a much higher protective effect of wine as compared to other studies. Other studies indicate that the protective effects of wine consumption are observed from the starting age of 35 to 40.

Red wine usually ranks as the healthiest drink because the grapes used to make the wine are packed with antioxidants that can be healthy for the heart and blood vessels.

How much wine should you drink, what¡¯s the limit?

A National Health Service date notes that people should not drink more than six glasses of wine per week, which is equal to 14 units. Additionally, moderate consumption for women should always be half that of men, and it should be consumed with meals.

So, as you raise a glass of wine to celebrate this holiday, you might just be doing yourself a favour! Cheers to good health!

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