A glass of red wine a day does help you live longer

People who drink a glass or two of wine every day are far less likely to develop cancer or heart disease—and so could live longer.

Wine is the one alcoholic drink to have this protective effect, but just as long as it’s drunk in moderation, which is between one and two glasses a day, a major new study has found.

But drinking any alcohol, including wine, in excess is likely to lead to a premature death, say researchers from the Second Xiangya Hospital at the Central South University in China.

They tracked the drinking habits and health of more than 340,000 people who participated in the UK Biobank study over a 13-year period.  The participants were grouped according to the type and amounts of alcohol they drank, which included beer, cider, spirits and wine.

To estimate alcohol consumption, the researchers calculated that people consuming less than 20 g (about 1.5 standard drinks) per week were classified as never or occasional drinkers, while men consuming between 20 g per week and 20 g per day, and women consuming between 20 g per week and 10 g per day, were considered to have low alcohol consumption.

Daily consumption of 20 g to 40 g (about 1.5 to three standard drinks) for men and 10 g to 20 g for women was considered moderate. Daily consumption of more than 40 g (about three drinks) for men and 20 g (about 1.5 drinks) for women was considered high.

Compared with people who never drank or drank only occasionally, those in the high consumption group were 24 percent more likely to die from any cause; they had a 36 percent greater risk of dying from cancer and were 14 percent more likely to die from heart disease.

But among moderate drinkers, the picture changed. While those who drank cider, beer or spirits still increased their risk of early death, wine drinkers saw their risks reverse.  Their risk of dying from heart disease dropped by 21 percent, a phenomenon that may be explained by compounds in red wine, such as polyphenols and antioxidants.

But there could be a cultural aspect at play as well.  People who are more affluent are also more likely to drink a glass of wine with their meals, and the food is usually healthier and of a higher standard, the researchers say.

What do you think? Start a conversation over on the... WDDTY Community