Le ricerche più recenti
Among the most important a research published in 2023 (“Moderate Wine Consumption and Health: A Narrative Review”, Hrelia – Di Renzo – Bavaresco – Bernardi – Malaguti – Giacosa https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/8/1921) states that :
“Wine is actually an alchemy of unique properties, with a rich and original composition in terms of polyphenols and antioxidants and a protective association between low-to-moderate wine consumption and cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and neurological disorders [152]. There is therefore strong scientific evidence from Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean countries that moderate wine consumption increases longevity, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and does not appreciably influence the overall risk of cancer [134] even though it has to be underlined that not drinking alcohol is better for cancer prevention [126].
The alcohol content varies between different types of wine, hovering around 14% for red wine and 11% for white wine, which is much lower than that of spirits (around 35%). Red wine has a high concentration of polyphenolic compounds; the content in white wine is lower, while it is practically negligible in distilled beverages (spirits and liqueurs) [152]. In addition to polyphenols, there may also be other phenolic and nonphenolic bioactive components in wine, usually less considered, that may contribute to the alleged health effects.
Bioactive components are not the only reason for the beneficial effects associated with wine consumption; social factors also matter. The Mediterranean diet is a dietary model that is also considered healthy because it suggests consuming wine during meals [2]. When consumed during meals, wine tends to be sipped more slowly than other alcoholic beverages and this may provide metabolic benefits. In addition, the concomitant presence of food in the stomach slows the absorption of ethanol, aiding metabolism and hepatic clearance, and lowering the peak blood alcohol concentration. The concomitant presence of food may also reduce the amount of alcohol available to the oral microbiota, which has the ability to metabolize ethanol to acetaldehyde, a compound associated with the tumor effects of ethanol in the upper gastrointestinal tract. In addition, the presence of alcohol may improve the bioavailability of polyphenols in the food bolus, making them more assimilable [153] and may reduce glucose bioaccessibility, which is consistent with the hypoglycemic effects observed in intervention and observational studies of moderate wine consumption.”
Translation :
Wine is an alchemy of unique properties, with a rich and original composition in terms of polyphenols and antioxidants and a protective association between wine consumption – low/moderate – and cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and neurological disorders. There is therefore strong scientific evidence, both from Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean countries, that moderate wine consumption increases longevity, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and does not significantly influence the overall risk of cancer, although it should be emphasized that avoiding drinking alcohol completely is better for cancer prevention.
The alcohol content varies between different types of wine, hovering around 14% for red wine and 11% for white wine, which is much lower than that of spirits (around 35%). Red wine has a high concentration of polyphenolic compounds; the content in white wine is lower, while it is practically negligible in distilled beverages (spirits and liqueurs) [152]. In addition to polyphenols, there may also be other phenolic and nonphenolic bioactive components in wine, usually less considered, that may contribute to the alleged health effects.ndr : tra gli altri, quercetina, melatonina...).
Bioactive components are not the only reason for the beneficial effects associated with wine consumption; social factors are also important. The Mediterranean diet It is considered healthy because includes wine consumption during meals. Consumed during meals, wine tends to be drunk more slowly than other alcoholic beverages, and this may have metabolic benefits. In addition, the simultaneous presence of food in the stomach slows the absorption of ethanol, facilitating metabolism and liver purification and lowering the maximum concentration of alcohol in the blood. The concomitant presence of food may also reduce the amount of alcohol available to the oral microbiota, which has the ability to metabolize ethanol into acetaldehyde, a compound associated with the tumor-causing effects of ethanol in the upper gastrointestinal tract. In addition, the presence of alcohol may improve the bioavailability of polyphenols in the food bolus, making them more absorbable, and may reduce the bioaccessibility of glucose, a phenomenon compatible with the hypoglycemic effects observed in intervention and observational studies on moderate wine consumption.
And the authors also state that:
“Wine complexity is extremely difficult to reproduce in vitro; this complexity and the multitude of different components allow the wine to exert synergistic biological effects that are much greater and more heterogeneous than those performed by individual components”
Translation : Wine complexity is extremely difficult to reproduce in vitro; this complexity and the multitude of different components allow the wine to exert synergistic biological effects that are much greater and more heterogeneous than those performed by individual components”in short, ed.: the interaction between the “good” components of wine could have a much greater effect than that of the components taken individually).
And, in conclusion:
“In conclusion, wine differs from other alcoholic beverages and its moderate consumption not only does not increase the risk of chronic degenerative diseases but is also associated with health benefits. However, health care professionals should not recommend alcohol to nondrinkers because of the paucity of randomized outcome data and the potential for problem drinking even among individuals at apparently low risk, and every effort must be made to promote behavioral education to prevent abuse, especially among young people. Moreover, additional research is required to evaluate and clarify the doubts that still exist.”
Translation :
In conclusion, wine differs from other alcoholic beverages and its moderate consumption not only does not increase the risk of chronic degenerative diseases but is also associated with health benefits. However, health care professionals should not recommend alcohol to nondrinkers because of the paucity of randomized outcome data and the potential for problem drinking even among individuals at apparently low risk, and every effort must be made to promote behavioral education to prevent abuse, especially among young people. Moreover, additional research is required to evaluate and clarify the doubts that still exist.
The research concludes with the caveats:
“This narrative review has limitations based on the literature selection, with a limited number of evaluated papers, and on the type of data analysis. Additional and future research with new meta-analyses of the existing data as well as new controlled studies and prospective studies have to be planned in order to analyze more precisely the existing data, to produce new evidence on this debated topic and to focus more clearly on the differential effects of wine versus other alcoholic beverages. Systematic reviews are needed to overcome the risks of bias of this paper and to define more clearly the negative and null literature data. In particular, this paper may show biases in paper selection and in outcome reporting.
This narrative review has been written to serve governments, organizations, industry, healthcare providers and individuals in a variety of capacities with the goal of improving health and reducing the global burden of various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases, and to favor longevity, but also to strongly remind of the negative effects of alcohol addiction.”
Translation :
This narrative review has limitations based on the literature selection, with a limited number of evaluated papers, and on the type of data analysis. Additional and future research with new meta-analyses of the existing data as well as new controlled studies and prospective studies have to be planned in order to analyze more precisely the existing data, to produce new evidence on this debated topic and to focus more clearly on the differential effects of wine versus other alcoholic beverages. Systematic reviews are needed to overcome the risks of bias (prejudices) of this article and to more clearly define negative and null data in the literature. In particular, this article may exhibit bias in article selection and reporting of results.
This narrative review has been written to serve governments, organizations, industry, healthcare providers and individuals in a variety of capacities with the goal of improving health and reducing the global burden of various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases, and to favor longevity, but also to strongly remind of the negative effects of alcohol addiction.
We conclude with some of the most recent research consulted on the subject, listed below:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36615832/ (Moderate Wine Consumption and Health : A Narrative Review)
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/8/1921 (Health Effects od Red Wine Consumption : a Narrative Review of an Issue That Still Deserves Debate)
https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-023-02873-z (Change in habitual intakes of flavonoid-rich foods and mortality in US males and females)
https://solongevity.com/pro/resveratrolo-e-polidatina-gli-antiossidanti-naturali/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28665033/ (Resveratrol and polydatin as modulators of Ca2+ mobilization in the cardiovascular sys)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36870461/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5751192/ (The role of Resveratrol in Cancer Therapy)
https://www.cancer.org.au/iheard/does-resveratrol-slow-cancer-cell-growth (Does resveratrol slow cancer cell growth?)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12935-021-02280-5 (Resveratrol mediates its anti-cancer effects by Nrf2 signaling pathway activation)
https://www.inpha.it/Portals/0/EdiProducts/Documents/RESVERATROLO1.pdf (Resveratrolo cos’è)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8289612/ (Effects and Mechanisms of Resveratrol on Aging and Age-Related Diseases)
https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(20)30770-6/fulltext (Resveratrol depolarizes the membrane potential in human granulosa cells and promotes mitochondrial biogenesis)
