Wine and Health: How harmful is a glass of wine really? New studies, old dogmas and the role of political narratives – a nuanced perspective.

“Even one glass is too much” – this striking warning has recently made headlines, flooded social media posts and even found its way into public health campaigns. Wine lovers are left confused: Is the daily glass with dinner healthy, harmless – or already a threat to well-being? While some voices categorically label alcohol as poison, more and more scientists and medical professionals are challenging this sweeping generalization as overly simplistic, or even scientifically inaccurate. Time for a balanced reality check.

The Status Quo: What Do Recent Studies Really Say About Alcohol and Health?

The latest wave in the debate came in 2023/2024, driven by reports from the WHO, OECD, and various national health agencies. Their key message: there is no safe threshold for alcohol consumption. Even the first drop could be harmful. But what exactly is behind this claim?

Many such statements are based on large-scale epidemiological studies like the Global Burden of Disease Study, which establish correlations between alcohol consumption and increased health risks (e.g. cancer, liver disease, cardiovascular conditions). While these studies are important, they also have key limitations:

• They identify correlations, not causal relationships.
• Definitions of moderate consumption vary significantly.
• They rarely differentiate between types of alcohol (e.g. wine vs. spirits).
• Confounding lifestyle factors – such as diet, physical activity, and socioeconomic status – are often insufficiently controlled.

To be clear: Excessive and regular alcohol consumption is undeniably harmful to health. But when it comes to moderate intake, especially within Mediterranean lifestyles (think: the Mediterranean diet), numerous studies even point to potential health benefits, particularly for the cardiovascular system.

A Closer Look at Wine: Cultural, Medical and Biochemical Context

Among alcoholic beverages, wine occupies a special position – not just culturally, but also biochemically. Polyphenols such as resveratrol, quercetin, and tannins have shown antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vascular-protective effects in laboratory and animal studies.

Many studies suggest that moderate wine consumption – around one glass per day with meals – is associated with increased life expectancy and reduced cardiovascular mortality. The most well-known example is the French Paradox: the observation that the French, despite a diet rich in saturated fats, have relatively low rates of heart disease – a phenomenon often attributed, in part, to their wine consumption.

While newer studies have nuanced this hypothesis, they don’t necessarily negate it. Rather, they call for a more differentiated interpretation: It’s not alcohol per se that’s beneficial, but a complex interplay of polyphenols, eating culture, lifestyle, and drinking patterns.

Between Science and Political Agenda: Is the Debate Ideologically Driven?

More and more professionals – such as German cardiologist Prof. Dr. Thomas Meinertz or epidemiologist Dr. Günter Kampf – caution against mixing alcohol policy with health communication. Organizations like the WHO pursue a zero-alcohol strategy, primarily rooted in public health prevention – not in nuanced clinical evidence.

Renowned wine researchers and nutrition experts criticize this one-size-fits-all narrative. Prof. Dr. Nicolai Worm, for instance, emphasizes that moderate wine consumption – embedded in a healthy lifestyle – is not harmful and may even have protective effects. Similar positions have been published in journals like the British Medical Journal and by the European Society of Cardiology, both of which distinguish clearly between harmful and cultivated, moderate consumption.

What Does This Mean for Practice – and the Wine World?

For wine drinkers, sommeliers, and winegrowers, the message is clear: Alarmism doesn’t help – education does. A responsible, mindful drinking culture should be promoted. At the same time, more real-world, context-sensitive research is needed – studies that reflect how wine is actually consumed: as part of a meal, in community, and with moderation.

The bottom line: Those who enjoy wine in moderation, as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle, are not at risk – and may even be benefitting from it.

You may also be interested in reading two further articles on this topic:
• „Between Scaremongering, Facts and a Culture of Enjoyment“
• “Wine, truth and ideology”.

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Bibliography for the trilogy: “Wine and Health” (German version)

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Photo Credit: © Adobe Stock/StokHunt