Short term health effects of dealcoholised red wine

The authors of a study published in the Drug and Alcohol Review state that health benefits of red wine are attributed to its high polyphenol content, but these claims are controversial due to potential alcohol-related harms. They undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify whether there are health benefits of dealcoholised red wine.
Researchers searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO and Web of Science for randomised controlled or cross-over trials. Comparisons analysed were: (i) dealcoholised red wine versus red wine; and (ii) dealcoholised red wine versus water. Health outcomes included serum/plasma antioxidant capacity, cardiovascular function, immune function, liver function, metabolism, microbiome diversity and inflammatory markers. Random effects meta-analyses were performed to estimate standardised mean differences (SMD = d).
From 865 identified records, 36 studies were included. Dealcoholised red wine was associated with increased serum/plasma antioxidant capacity (d = 0.72; 95% CI [0.42, 1.01]) and microbiome diversity (d = 0.63 [0.32, 0.93]) compared to water, but has less effect on microbiome diversity (d = -0.32 [-0.52, -0.11]) compared to red wine. No significant differences were observed in other health outcomes.
Dealcoholised red wine may have some short-term health benefits in increasing serum/plasma antioxidant capacity and microbiome diversity, but the evidence is limited by small sample size, short-term follow-up, and heterogeneous studies. These data do not support a rationale for drinking red wine for purported health benefits due to the known long-term health harms of alcohol consumption, the authors conclude.
Source: Yimer TM; Chan GC; Stjepanovic D; Sun T; Shin D; Lucey M; Choi J; Saunders JB; Connor JP; Leung J, The short-term health effects of dealcoholised red wine: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Drug and Alcohol Review, Published early online 8 October 2025