from Wine Spectator
While scientists have been researching the links between wine and health for decades, 2023 brought a flurry of new discoveries. Even as one study claimed that alcohol’s potential health benefits may have been overstated by past research, others linked moderate wine consumption to a range of health improvements, gave us a more nuanced understanding of how polyphenols behave in the body, and beyond. Breakthrough research also uncovered healthful properties of coffee and tea.
For many people, coffee and tea are among life’s greatest pleasures. It turns out that they may also promote heart health, reduce cognitive decline and extend life span.
An overwhelming body of research has established the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, which includes fruits, vegetables, seafood, nuts, whole grains and olive oil, as well as moderate amounts of wine. The diet’s benefits are commonly thought to derive, in part, from its high levels of polyphenols, beneficial antioxidant molecules that may protect the body from aging, dangerous mutations and more. This Spanish study adds to our understanding of how our bodies metabolize the polyphenols found in foods and wine in the diet, and how those polyphenols could be working to help our bodies on a molecular level.
For decades, researchers have tried to answer two seemingly simple questions: Is moderate alcohol consumption harmful? And does it provide any health benefits? A new study claims the answer to both questions is “No.” Crucially, however, it also found that moderate drinkers have approximately the same lifespan as people who don’t drink.
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