Narrative review of the effects of red wine consumption

The authors of a review published in the journal, Nutrients, state that a strong controversy persists regarding the effect of red wine consumption and health. Guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cancers discourage alcohol consumption in any form, but several studies have demonstrated that low red wine intake may have positive effects on CVD risk.
The review evaluates randomised controlled trials, examining the recent literature on the correlations between acute and chronic RW consumption and health.
All random control trials published in English on PubMed from 1 January 2000 to 28 February 2023 were evaluated. Ninety-one were included, seven of which had a duration of more than six months.
The review assessed the effect of red wine on: (1) antioxidant status, (2) cardiovascular function, (3) coagulation pathway and platelet function, (4) endothelial function and arterial stiffness, (5) hypertension, (6) immune function and inflammation status, (7) lipid profile and homocysteine levels, (8) body composition, type 2 diabetes and glucose metabolism, and (9) gut microbiota and the gastrointestinal tract.
Red wine consumption mostly results in improvements in antioxidant status, thrombosis and inflammation markers, lipid profile, and gut microbiota, with conflicting results on hypertension and cardiac function. Notably, beneficial effects were observed on oxidative stress, inflammation, and nephropathy markers, with a modest decrease in CVD risk in five out of seven studies that evaluated the effect of red wine consumption in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and had a duration between six months and two years. Importantly, a longer duration of treatment with red wine has been shown to protect renal and cardiac function parameters in T2DM patients, suggesting that a moderate intake of red wine may serve as a dietary supplement in diabetic patients.
The review authors suggest that additional long-term randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm these benefits, and assess the potential risks associated with RW consumption.
Source: Lombardo M, Feraco A, Camajani E, Caprio M, Armani A. Health Effects of Red Wine Consumption: A Narrative Review of an Issue That Still Deserves Debate. Nutrients. 2023 Apr 16;15(8):1921.