Prevents Atherosclerosis

• In 2007 Current Pharmaceutical Design published an in vitro study which tested some red wines for their ability to trigger nitric oxide production in humans. Results showed that the ability of red wine to dilate blood vessels through nitric oxide production suggests that wine consumption can prevent atherosclerosis. [Source]
• In 2001 Atherosclerosis published an animal study which showed that red wine, along with grape juice and non-alcoholic red wine had a significant effect in reducing atherosclerosis in hamsters through antioxidant mechanisms. [Source]
• In 2001 Menopause published a study involving 78 subjects which found that, among other treatments, components in red wine may have cardioprotective benefits in postmenopausal women through the prevention of LDL cholesterol oxidation (free radical damage). [Source]
• In 2004 Atherosclerosis published a study in which 40 men consumed 30 grams of alcohol per day for 28 days in the form of either red win or gin. While both beverages showed anti-inflammatory effects, red wine reduced inflammation through a greater number of mechanisms compared to gin. [Source]

Heart Health

• In 2003 the International Journal of Molecular Medicine published an animal study which found that red wine was able to reduce the negative effects of a high cholesterol diet fed to rabbits by preventing a decline in endothelial cell function and increasing nitric oxide levels. [Source]
• In 2002 the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study which recorded alcohol intake history of 350 obese patients set for weight loss surgery. The data showed that red wine consumers had lower homocysteine (a non-protein amino acid correlated with the occurrence of blood clots, heart attacks and stroke) concentrations. [Source]

Antioxidant

• In 2001 the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published an in vitro study which showed red wine components bind to HDL and LDL cholesterol and protect these lipoproteins from lipid oxidation (free radical damage). [Source]
• In 2012 Molecular Nutrition and Food Research published a clinical trial in which recovering heart attack patients were given either one cup (250 mL) of wine per day or water for a 2-week period. Those in the wine group showed increases in antioxidant status and decreases in total and LDL cholesterol. [Source]

Anti-aging

• In 2012 Clinical Science published an in vitro study which found that red wine extract prevented DNA damage of endothelial cells and relaxed coronary arteries. The authors note that the polyphenols in red wine may preserve endothelial function during aging. [Source]

Gut Health

• In 2012 The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a crossover study which found that 10 men who consumed red wine for 20 days saw significant increases in healthy bacteria populations (probiotics) in the gut as well as decreases in blood pressure, cholesterol and c-reactive proteins (an inflammatory marker). [Source]

Diabetics

• In 2006 Diabetic Medicine published a study in which 115 diabetes patients who had sustained a heart attack consumed either red wine or no red wine (control group) for one year. The subjects who consumed red wine had significantly reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory markers compared to those who did not consume red wine. The authors of the study note that red wine intake with meals may help prevent cardiovascular complications in diabetics after myocardial infarction (heart attack). [Source]

Sexual Health in Women

• In 2009 The Journal of Sexual Medicine published a study of 798 women which found that women who consumed a moderate amount of red wine (1-2 glasses/day) had higher scores on a survey measuring sexual function and desire when compared to women who did not drink alcohol at all. [Source]

Anti-estrogen

• In 2002 Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences published a study which suggested that anti-aromatase (anti-estrogen) chemicals in red wine may have a chemopreventative (anti-cancer) effect for women with a high risk of breast cancer. [Source]

Alzheimer’s disease

• In 2009 the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease published an animal study which showed that various compounds in red wine can attenuate Alzheimer’s disease through different mechanisms. [Source]

Blood Pressure

• In 2002 the Journal of Studies on Alcohol published a placebo-controlled, crossover study which found that 13 centrally (waistline) obese, middle-aged individuals saw a significant reduction in blood pressure after consuming 250 mL (1 cup) of red win with a daytime meal. [Source]

Headaches

• In 2014 Headache published a review of papers and studies examining the relationship between red wine consumption and headaches. The data showed that red wine was a migraine trigger in less than 30 percent of the subjects in the studies included. [Source]

Smokers

• In 2004 American Heart Journal published a crossover study in which 16 healthy volunteers smoked a cigarette, or smoked a cigarette with a glass of red wine or de-alcoholized red wine. The data showed that endothelial function was significantly impaired immediately following smoking a cigarette alone, but when smoking a was combined with red wine or de-alcoholized red wine endothelial function was not affected. [Source]
• In 2006 the Journal of Hypertension published a double-blind, crossover study in which 20 smokers smoked either a cigarette alone or combined with red wine or de-alcoholized red wine. Smoking alone increased systolic blood pressure while smoking along with drinking either red wine or de-alcoholized did not change blood pressure. Red wine also reduced arterial stiffness more than de-alcoholized red wine. [Source]
• In 2017 The American Journal of Medicine published a study in which participants smoked 3 cigarettes alone or after drinking red wine. After smoking alone inflammation markers and immune response increased whereas red wine completely mitigated the endothelial damage, inflammation and cellular aging caused by smoking. [Source]
• In 2007 the Journal of the American College of Nutrition published a double-blind, crossover study in which 12 volunteers smoked one cigarette alone or combined with 250mL (one cup) of red wine or de-alcoholized red wine. While smoking one cigarette alone significantly decreased FMD (Flow mediated dilatation – a measure to assess endothelial cell function) both red wine and de-alcoholized red wine counteracted these effects and FMD remained unchanged when wine was consumed while smoking. [Source]

Red Wine with Viagra

• In 2004 Clinical Pharmacotherapy and Therapeutics published a study to investigate any potential hemodynamic (relating to blood flow) interaction between red wine and sildenafil citrate (Viagra). Based on a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving eight men, the researchers found no clinically important interaction between red wine and sildenafil. [Source]