Wine News

A new report has claimed that obesity sufferers can reduce their risk to heart disease through moderate consumption of red wine. In their study, the findings of which have been published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Dr. J. B. Dixon and colleagues of Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, found that obese people who consumed moderate amounts of red wine had lower levels of a blood protein called homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine have been linked to an increase in cardiovascular disease risk, so keeping homocysteine levels under control may cut heart disease risk, the report indicates.

In the study the researchers measured blood levels of homocysteine in 350 obese men and women, and interviewed them about their drinking habits. According to the investigators, red wine consumers had blood homocysteine concentrations that were 17% lower than those consuming no alcohol and 13% lower than those who drank mainly beer or spirits. The slightly lower homocysteine levels were seen in people consuming less than 8 glasses of wine a week. The researchers concluded that mild to moderate red wine consumption in obese individuals is associated with lower homocysteine concentrations, and this may reduce their cardiovascular risk.