Is Wine Healthy?

There is much debate regarding whether a moderate consumption of wine is actually healthy. It is widely understood that consuming large amounts of wine, or any other alcoholic drink for that matter, has serious health implications both long and short term for the drinker. However, there is a large array of substantial statistical evidence that a moderate consumption of wine, particularly at meal times, has numerous health benefits.
The 'French Paradox' is often used to describe the lower recorded levels of cardiovascular disease in France than America. Despite the population of both developed countries having seemingly similar levels of cholesterol and fat intakes, America has a far higher mortality rates due to cardiovascular disease. Also, to exacerbate the confusion, France has a much larger percentage of the population that smoke, an attributive cause to higher mortality rates and cardiovascular disease. Many scientists believe that the French culture of moderate wine drinking helps mitigate the effects of cardiovascular disease that other aspects of their culture aggravate.
Serge Renaud a researcher from the University of Bordeaux found that moderate wine consumption (2-3 glasses a day) was associated with a 30% reduction in the death rate from all causes; a 35% percent reduction in death rates from cardiovascular disease; and an 18-24% reduction in death rates from cancer. "The results of the present study," Renaud wrote, "appear to confirm the speculation that the so-called French Paradox is due, at least in part, to the regular consumption of wine."
A new study from researchers at the University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland, identified a mechanism for how moderate consumption of alcohol during meal times gave benefit to arterial cells and prevented fatty deposits from being stored in the arteries during the critical digestive phase. According to Wilhelm Vetter, M.D., and colleagues, alcohol, when consumed around mealtime, reduces the proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMC) within the arteries. SMC growth is a key element in the development of atherosclerosis, which commonly leads to heart attacks and strokes.
The study found that the ingestion of alcohol, equivalent to two glasses of wine or three beers, with a high-fat meal resulted in a 20% decrease in the growth of arterial muscle cells. Researchers suggest these results could have a profound effect on heart disease.
Further scientific studies have also concluded that the moderate consumption of wine (but not beer or spirits) is associated with a reduced risk of stroke. A 16-year Danish study led by Dr. Thomas Truelsen of Copenhagen University Hospital has shown that wine's protective effects may be down to other ingredients and compounds besides alcohol. The findings of this report suggest that:
"Wine contains flavonoids and tannins," Dr. Thomas Truelsen explained, "which are components presumed to prevent cardiovascular disease." They speculate that drinking patterns specific to wine lovers may also influence cardiovascular health. Wine is more commonly consumed at mealtimes than either beer or hard liquor, and "these differences in 'timing' may be important," according to the researchers. One recent study concluded that mealtime alcohol consumption reduced unhealthy alterations in blood composition that can occur after eating."
Furthermore the Italian National Institute of Nutrition (Rome) found that phenolic compounds in wine are absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and "might be directly involved in the in vivo antioxidant defences." This study clearly associated non-alcoholic components in wine with increased plasma antioxidant capacity, which may lead to a reduced risk in coronary heart disease and strokes.
In conclusion many scientific studies conclude that drinking wine moderately has health benefits. The American Journal of Epidemiology 1999;149:463-470 confirms, probably what we all knew all along, that 'moderation' is key:
"Consumption of one alcoholic drink per day appears to reduce the risk of heart disease in middle-aged men, but more than two drinks each day may offset these benefits by increasing the risk of some cancers", researchers report. "Our observational research shows that there seems to be benefit of light to moderate alcohol consumption. However, people shouldn't drink instead of doing other preventive activities such as stopping smoking, controlling cholesterol and exercising."

About the Author
As long as I can remember I've always been surrounded by wine. From holidays as a child to the Loire valley and Tuscany with my family to my first job in a wine stockist. I hope that my interest in the topic and (hopefully) some insight will let you get the most out of wine!