Health effects of wine

A glass of red wine

The health effects of wine are mainly determined by its active ingredient – alcohol.[1][2] Preliminary studies found that drinking small quantities of wine (up to one standard drink per day for women and one to two drinks per day for men), particularly of red wine, may be associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases, cognitive decline, stroke, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and early death. Other studies found no such effects.[2][3][4]

Drinking more than the standard drink amount increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and cancer.[3][5] Mixed results are also observed in light drinking and cancer mortality.[5][6][7][8]

Risk is greater in young people due to binge drinking, which may result in violence or accidents.[3] About 88,000 deaths in the United States are estimated to be due to alcohol each year.[9] Alcoholism reduces a person's life expectancy by around ten years[10] and excessive alcohol use is the third leading cause of early death in the United States.[3] According to systematic reviews and medical associations, people who are non-drinkers should never start drinking wine nor any other alcoholic drink.[3][7][11]

The history of wine includes use as an early form of medication, being recommended variously as a safe alternative to drinking water, an antiseptic for treating wounds, a digestive aid, and as a cure for a wide range of ailments including lethargy, diarrhea, and pain from child birth.[12] Ancient Egyptian papyri and Sumerian tablets dating back to 2200 BC detail the medicinal role of wine, making it the world's oldest documented human-made medicine.[13]: 433  Wine continued to play a major role in medicine until the late 19th and early 20th century, when changing opinions and medical research on alcohol and alcoholism cast doubt on its role as part of a healthy lifestyle.

  1. ^ Trichopoulou A, Lagiou P (November 1997). "Healthy traditional Mediterranean diet: an expression of culture, history, and lifestyle". Nutrition Reviews. 55 (11 Pt 1): 383–9. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.1997.tb01578.x. PMID 9420448.
  2. ^ a b Shen J, Wilmot KA, Ghasemzadeh N, Molloy DL, Burkman G, Mekonnen G, Gongora MC, Quyyumi AA, Sperling LS (2015). "Mediterranean Dietary Patterns and Cardiovascular Health". Annual Review of Nutrition. 35: 425–49. doi:10.1146/annurev-nutr-011215-025104. PMID 25974696.
  3. ^ a b c d e O'Keefe JH, Bhatti SK, Bajwa A, DiNicolantonio JJ, Lavie CJ (March 2014). "Alcohol and cardiovascular health: the dose makes the poison…or the remedy". Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 89 (3): 382–93. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2013.11.005. PMID 24582196.
  4. ^ Stockwell T, Zhao J, Panwar S, Roemer A, Naimi T, Chikritzhs T (March 2016). "Do "Moderate" Drinkers Have Reduced Mortality Risk? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Alcohol Consumption and All-Cause Mortality". Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. 77 (2): 185–98. doi:10.15288/jsad.2016.77.185. PMC 4803651. PMID 26997174.
  5. ^ a b Jin M, Cai S, Guo J, Zhu Y, Li M, Yu Y, Zhang S, Chen K (March 2013). "Alcohol drinking and all cancer mortality: a meta-analysis". Annals of Oncology. 24 (3): 807–16. doi:10.1093/annonc/mds508. PMID 23104725.
  6. ^ Bagnardi V, Rota M, Botteri E, Tramacere I, Islami F, Fedirko V, Scotti L, Jenab M, Turati F, Pasquali E, Pelucchi C, Bellocco R, Negri E, Corrao G, Rehm J, Boffetta P, La Vecchia C (February 2013). "Light alcohol drinking and cancer: a meta-analysis". Annals of Oncology. 24 (2): 301–8. doi:10.1093/annonc/mds337. PMID 22910838.
  7. ^ a b Poli A, Marangoni F, Avogaro A, Barba G, Bellentani S, Bucci M, Cambieri R, Catapano AL, Costanzo S, Cricelli C, de Gaetano G, Di Castelnuovo A, Faggiano P, Fattirolli F, Fontana L, Forlani G, Frattini S, Giacco R, La Vecchia C, Lazzaretto L, Loffredo L, Lucchin L, Marelli G, Marrocco W, Minisola S, Musicco M, Novo S, Nozzoli C, Pelucchi C, Perri L, Pieralli F, Rizzoni D, Sterzi R, Vettor R, Violi F, Visioli F (June 2013). "Moderate alcohol use and health: a consensus document" (PDF). Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases. 23 (6): 487–504. doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2013.02.007. hdl:10447/94503. PMID 23642930.
  8. ^ LoConte NK, Brewster AM, Kaur JS, Merrill JK, Alberg AJ (January 2018). "Alcohol and Cancer: A Statement of the American Society of Clinical Oncology". Journal of Clinical Oncology. 36 (1): 83–93. doi:10.1200/JCO.2017.76.1155. PMID 29112463. Clearly, the greatest cancer risks are concentrated in the heavy and moderate drinker categories. Nevertheless, some cancer risk persists even at low levels of consumption. A meta-analysis that focused solely on cancer risks associated with drinking one drink or fewer per day observed that this level of alcohol consumption was still associated with some elevated risk for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (sRR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.56), oropharyngeal cancer (sRR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.29), and breast cancer (sRR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.08), but no discernable associations were seen for cancers of the colorectum, larynx, and liver.
  9. ^ "Alcohol Facts and Statistics". Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  10. ^ Schuckit MA (November 2014). "Recognition and management of withdrawal delirium (delirium tremens)". The New England Journal of Medicine. 371 (22): 2109–13. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1407298. PMID 25427113. S2CID 205116954.
  11. ^ "Alcohol and Heart Health". American Heart Association. 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  12. ^ Harding G (2005). A Wine Miscellany. New York: Clarkson Potter. pp. 66–70, 90 & 108. ISBN 978-0-307-34635-3.
  13. ^ Robinson J, ed. (2006). The Oxford Companion to Wine (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-860990-2.