Conflicting Health Grapevie:Guidelines Over Red Wine Emphasize Need for Moderation
I drink wine for its ethereal qualities. I appreciate the intrinsic pleasure it brings to my palate and my intellect.
The touted health aspects of a glass of wine are a valuable side benefit.
Over the last 20 years, numerous studies have been published espousing the health benefits of red wine. Volumes have been written on the benefits of antioxidants in our food and in our bodies. Each of the many compounds that fall into the broad category of antioxidants (polyphenols, sirtuin proteins) interacts with other compounds to fight the negative effects of our diets and lifestyles.
Studies have validated the benefits of red wine: protecting the heart and brain, fighting and preventing cancers, reversing diabetes and obesity, boosting the immune system and slowing the aging process.
Long before science began focusing on the potential health benefits of red wine, much of the western world was consuming red wine.
For centuries, British subjects enjoyed their glass of Claret (typically red wine from Bordeaux) to accompany a fine meal and to create or perpetuate a certain refined lifestyle.
The American experience has been quite different. Early in our democracy’s history, the typical lifestyle was anything but refined; alcohol was consumed to wash away the drudgery and arduous workday for many blue-collar workers.
Wine was not a beverage of choice; it was not readily available and rather expensive compared to distilled spirits. Just as it had gained popularity from the efforts of European farmers and winemakers, along came Prohibition in 1920, lasting 13 long years. The wine industry didn’t begin to flourish until the mid-1970s. Today, the United States is the largest wine-consuming nation in the world.
With the rise in wine consumption over the last half century has come an increased scientific focus on our general health, not just wine in particular. Major strides have been made in health and life sciences. Longevity statistics bear this out. In 1920, the life expectancy of males and females in the United States was 54 and 55 years, respectively. In 2014, 78 and 81 years – an astounding 44 percent and 47 percent increase, respectively. As life expectancy continues to increase, every nuance in our lifestyles and diets, including red wine consumption, will play a role in our health.
I’d like to think my perspective covers all wine consuming nations and that governments share the same view. In the United States, the USDA has established guidelines for alcohol consumption. Stating that moderation is acceptable, men should consume no more than two glasses per day; women, one glass.
Other countries don’t necessarily agree with these guidelines. Just last week the United Kingdom issued revised guidelines for wine consumption. “Red wine is bad for you, say experts” blared the U.K. dailies.
U.K. Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies reported the results of the latest research and issued new guidelines. She warned that there is no safe level of drinking. Further, wine consumption should be limited to seven glasses a week for men and women, with days of abstinence between glasses.
Several statements from her sum up the headline:
“There’s an old wives’ tale that we were all brought up on – that a glass of red wine protected the heart.”
“What I do when I go home…is drink a glass of tea, or cup of tea, instead of a glass of wine.”
How do I feel about this pronouncement of the new U.K. guidelines? Of this reversal and repudiation of all the positive studies we’ve heard about red wine?
With so much conflicting data in the Googlesphere, I’m not sure I ever will know the truths of the effects of wine consumption. The bottom line for me are the three principles I’ve adopted: moderation in consumption; drink responsibly; consult your medical professional. Somewhere in those maxims lies a reasonable approach.
But then again, reasonableness can be very subjective. We all have a tendency to process information from our own perspective – influenced by lifestyle, habits, and reliance on simpatico viewpoints – and rationalize what we wish to conclude.
Nick Antonaccio is a 40-year Pleasantville resident. For over 20 years he has conducted wine tastings and lectures. He also offers personalized wine tastings and wine travel services. Nick’s credo: continuous experimenting results in instinctive behavior. You can reach him at nantonaccio@theexaminernews.com or on Twitter @sharingwine.
