Through numerous studies over the past years; it has been a common knowledge that drinking red wine is good for the heart. But according to a new study, white wine can also have positive effects on a person's cholesterol levels and cardiac health.
In a study published from the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev-Soroka Medical Center and Nuclear Research Center in Negev, Israel randomly instructed 224 people with Type 2 diabetes that for two years, they must accompany their dinners every day by drinking 150mL of water, white wine or red wine. All of the participants were told to follow a strict Mediterranean diet, which includes mostly plant based-food and lots of olive oil (to replace butter) but their caloric intake was not restricted throughout the whole process of the experiment. The researchers carefully kept track of the participant's different health markers and how quickly they metabolized their alcohol intake.
At the end of the study, it was found out that red wine drinkers had the most obvious improvements in the participants' cardiac health and cholesterol management, and certain indicators of their control of lipids and glucose and white wine drinkers also showed a bit of improvement in their heart and metabolism markers. Add to that, in both wine-drinking groups, participants who processed alcohol more slowly reaped greater benefits.
However, the researchers also pointed out that although wines can be a good source of flavanoids they suggest that it should still be taken into moderation as part of a healthy diet. For women, the National Institutes of Health recommends no more than a single drink per day.
One interesting fact to also note, is that the researchers found no material differences were identified in blood pressure, adiposity, liver function, drug therapy, symptoms or quality of life among those who drank red wine, white wine or mineral water except for the participant's sleep quality - that has been improved in both wine groups.
