Abstract

SANTOS-BUELGA, C.  and  GONZALEZ-MANZANO, S.. Wine And Health Relationships: A Question Of Moderation?. Ciência Téc. Vitiv. [online]. 2011, vol.26, n.1, pp.33-44. ISSN 0254-0223.

Evidences accumulated over the last thirty years suggest that light to moderate alcohol consumption, especially in the form of red wine, can have beneficial effects for health. Those benefits mostly refer to improvement in cardiovascular health, although relationships with a lower risk of other pathologies such as type 2 diabetes, dementia or cognitive decline in old age have also been established. Most evidences derive from observational studies or from in vitro or animal assays, whereas direct scientific data in human are scarce and incomplete. On the other hand, alcohol is a toxic product whose irresponsible and excessive consumption has well-established consequences for health and serious social implications. Furthermore, some adverse effects have been related with the moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages, including an increase in the incidence of different types of cancer. In this article, a revision about the current knowledge about alcohol and health relationships is made, paying particular attention to the case of red wine.

Keywords : Red wine; alcohol; health; epidemiological studies; coronary heart disease; adverse effects.

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