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Lacie Jacobson
Barry Wilcox
HLTH 1020
5 December 2018
Research Essay

Is Red Wine Actually Healthy?

For many people, alcoholic beverages are a popular side to any meal, and for others, they

can be enjoyed all by themselves. One of the popular drink options is red wine. Even those who

do not drink Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet, or any other type of red wine, can still appreciate the

time, patience, and skill that goes into wine crafting. While drinking wine in moderation is not

bad, it can easily turn into a habit or routine that is not so healthy. Most of us have heard

someone, if not yourself, say something along the lines of “at least wine is good for my heart,” to

justify their wine consumption. This claim may be true to an extent, but it does not mean that

wine is entirely healthy. Senior Living has an article that introduces a few common

misconceptions and widely unknown facts about wine. The goal is to determine if this popular

beverage is actually good for our nutritional health.

The first idea that Senior Living brings up is that red wine contains an antioxidant called

resveratrol; this is true. Resveratrol is a polyphenol that is found in the skins of grapes; it reduces

low-density lipoprotein – otherwise known as “bad” cholesterol –, prevents damage to blood

vessels, and prevents blood clots in the arteries. These “antioxidants may [also] help prevent

coronary artery disease, the condition that leads to heart attacks.” (Mayo Clinic para. 1). This

polyphenol is very heart healthy, but it is not mandatory to drink wine to receive the benefits

from it; resveratrol can be obtained from other sources such as peanuts, cranberries, blueberries,
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grapes, and their corresponding juices. According to Liji Thomas, one drink of wine,

approximately five ounces, contains about 0.03-1.07 milligrams of resveratrol while an equal

amount of grape juice contains 0.017-1.30 milligrams of resveratrol. To receive a decent amount

of resveratrol from wine, it would require you to consume a quite a bit. The amount of

resveratrol in grape juice is not that much higher than wine, but people can consume more grape

juice without the negative effects that would come with ingesting high amounts of alcohol from

wine.

While red wine contains less than 1% of resveratrol, it is also made of about 12% alcohol.

Resveratrol has health benefits, but the same cannot be said about alcohol. “All of the research

showing that people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol have lower rates of heart disease is

observational.” (Corliss para. 3). In fact, there are more studies that show alcohol to have more

negative effects than positive ones. In her article, Liji Thomas brings up some downsides of too

much alcohol:

Including alcoholism, liver damage, brain damage, mental problems, diabetes, high blood

pressure, stroke and heart disease, as well as cancer,” (Thomas para. 5).

On the other side of the argument, some “Researchers believe there might be some form of

synergy between exercise and the low dose of ethyl alcohol found in wine that helps increase

HDL and improve heart health.” (Senior Living para. 5). Science Daily shared an article on a

study done by the European Society of Cardiology that argued that wine can have some healthy

benefits. Their study showed that mild to moderate wine consumption can increase levels of

high-density lipoproteins – good cholesterol – and prevent cardiovascular disease. Although,

only those who exercise will be more likely to receive these benefits.
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Another side effect of drinking alcohol, not just wine, is the increased risk for women to

get hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Breastcancer.org gives a few statistics on women,

alcohol consumption, and the risk of breast cancer:

Compared to women who [do not] drink at all, women who have three alcoholic drinks

per week have a 15% higher risk of breast cancer. Experts estimate that the risk of breast

cancer goes up another 10% for each additional drink women regularly have each day.

(para. 2).

While those stats are for adult women, Breastcancer.org also gives some unsettling statistics for

younger girls. “Teen and tween girls aged 9 to 15 who drink three to five drinks a week have

three times the risk of developing benign breast lumps.” (para. 3). Even though these lumps are

not cancerous, they can give girls a high risk of getting breast cancer later in life. There are a few

studies that have shown that “drinking even a few alcoholic beverages per week (three to four

drinks) increase the risk of breast cancer coming back in women [who had] been diagnosed with

early-stage disease.” (para. 4). Women who are in breast cancer remission are advised not to

drink alcohol of any kind.

Another fact that Senior Living talks about is that “Occasional binge drinking can wipe

out any health benefits associated with drinking wine.” (para. 7). Whatever positive effects that

someone can get from the resveratrol and moderate wine intake can quickly be taken away by

ingesting too much of the alcoholic beverage. Not only can it take away healthy benefits, but can

cause more health problems, especially for college students who participate in binge drinking.

Nicole Napoli wrote an article on the American College of Cardiology’s website where she

describes binge drinking as consuming a certain amount of drinks, 5 or more for men and 4 or
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more for women, within a two-hour period. Napoli also talked about the effects of binge drinking

on college students.

“Regularly consuming multiple drinks in a short window of time can cause immediate

changes in circulation that increase an otherwise healthy young adult’s risk of developing

cardiovascular disease later in life,” (Napoli para. 1).

Binge drinking can have more negative impacts on college students than older adults. Many

college students are still growing and expanding their mental capacities. Drinking alcohol,

especially a lot in a short amount of time, can inhibit brain functions which then limit the

student’s ability.

Now, the question that many are wanting to know the answer to: is wine actually healthy

for you? The fact is, wine in moderation can be healthy, but that does not mean that is the

healthiest thing to consume regularly. The polyphenol, resveratrol, which is in wine has many

health benefits, but wine should not be your main source because there are many other options

that contain higher concentrations. Moderation is key. A little alcohol can have some heart

healthy benefits, but too much can cause many problems. When consuming wine, or any alcohol

for that matter, you should be aware of how much you are consuming and the effects it may have

on your short-term and long-term health.

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Works Cited

Corliss, Julie. “Is Red Wine Actually Good for Your Heart?” Harvard Health Blog, 20 Feb.

2018, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-red-wine-good-actually-for-your-heart-2018021913285.

Napoli, Nicole. “Binge Drinking in College Can Lead to Heart Disease Later in Life.” American

College of Cardiology, 23 Apr. 2013, www.acc.org/about-acc/press-

releases/2013/04/24/10/59/binge-drinking-study.

Mayo Clinic Staff. “Red Wine and Your Heart.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical

Education and Research, 12 Nov. 2016, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-

disease/in-depth/red-wine/art-20048281.

Thomas, Liji. “Resveratrol in Wines and Grapes.” News-Medical.net, News Medical, 23 Aug.

2018, www.news-medical.net/health/Resveratrol-in-Wines-and-Grapes.aspx.

“Drinking Alcohol.” Breastcancer.org, www.breastcancer.org/risk/factors/alcohol.

“The Great Wine Debate: Separating Fact from Fiction on the Health Benefits of Wine.” Sunrise

Senior Living, 24 May 2018, https://www.sunriseseniorliving.com/blog/may-2018/the-great-

wine-debate-separating-fact-from-fiction-on-the-health-benefits-of-wine.aspx

“Wine Only Protects against Cardiovascular Disease in People Who Exercise, Study

Finds.” ScienceDaily, Science Daily, 31 Aug. 2014,

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140831125255.htm.