Is Red Wine Good for Your Heart?

Compounds in red wine have proven heart health benefits. But the costs of drinking too much can quickly outweigh the benefits.

They call it the “French Paradox”: the observation that French people have low rates of coronary heart disease despite eating a diet rich in butter, cheese and all the other “good stuff” we’re told is bad for us.

So, what’s the secret? Maybe it’s the red wine, scientists hypothesized — because among the “good stuff” that many French people also enjoy is plenty of red wine.

But before you raise a glass to your own heart’s delight, consider what Danielle Trafficanda-Raynor, MS, RDN, a clinical dietitian with Keck Medicine of USC and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, wants you to know about red wine and heart health. Because we’ve learned a lot about this paradox since it first captured researchers’ imaginations.

What in red wine is good for your heart?

To be sure, red wine is rife with compounds that deliver scientifically substantiated heart health perks. And, as Trafficanda-Raynor explains, the source of those compounds is literally skin-deep.

“The highlight of red wine is that it’s made with the grape skins still on,” she says, “which is different from how white wine is made. And the skins of the grapes are what contain the heart-healthy compounds.”

Highest profile among them is a polyphenolic antioxidant known as resveratrol. Resveratrol has attracted attention for reducing LDL cholesterol and blood sugar levels, while increasing HDL cholesterol and promoting blood flow, in addition to acting as an anti-inflammatory and supporting heart health in a number of other ways.

“Some studies have even shown that red wine can help with gut health because its polyphenols have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can protect your gut microbiome,” Trafficanda-Raynor adds.

How much red wine is good for heart health?

So, there’s definitely some truth to the notion that moderate red wine consumption pays cardiovascular benefits and more.

“The problem,” she goes on, “is that getting the amount you’d need to be beneficial requires drinking a lot — like 500 to 2,000 liters of red wine to get one gram of resveratrol. And it’s recommended that we have no more than one to two alcoholic beverages per day. That’s only four to five ounces of wine.”

Drink much more than this and “the costs outweigh the benefits pretty quickly,” she says.

One such cost is weight gain. A four-ounce glass of red wine comes in at about 120 calories, Trafficanda-Raynor says — and, as she quips, “Who’s stopping at four ounces?” So if red wine consumption causes you to gain weight, that can actually compromise heart health, increasing risk for high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

What’s more, immoderate alcohol consumption poses risks beyond the heart, such as the development of fatty liver disease and crippling addiction.

Is red wine a heart health silver bullet?

That’s why Trafficanda-Raynor doesn’t advocate taking up red wine consumption as a cardioprotective measure. But she believes there is room for it in a heart-healthy lifestyle if you follow a few guidelines:

• Think holistically: Rather than pinning your heart health hopes on red wine alone, Trafficanda-Raynor encourages taking a more holistic approach. “Look at your entire lifestyle,” she advises. “Are you eating a Mediterranean or heart-healthy diet? Are you getting your fruits and vegetables?” After all, plenty of foods — from peanuts to berries — provide resveratrol. “It goes back to ‘keeping it simple,’” she says. “Eat the rainbow, eat less-processed foods, make sure you move your body. All those things will benefit you more than sitting on the couch sipping red wine and eating cheese.” Darn.
• Practice moderation: Adhere to the guideline of one to two glasses (that’s five ounces per glass) of wine per day, she says. Again, “That’s all you need to get the benefits.” And follow the French: “They do things more in moderation than we Americans do,” Trafficanda-Raynor observes. “Their portions are smaller. They walk more. They’re more moderate in the amount of red wine they drink.”
• Consult your doctor: Protecting your heart is one of those areas where health care professionals are your best resources. So, speak up! “If you’re a wine drinker, definitely ask your doctor what their recommendations are,” Trafficanda-Raynor says. “And if you don’t drink red wine, just stay the course.”

While red wine may be “the ‘better’ choice” among alcohol options, Trafficanda-Raynor says, “You don’t need red wine for heart health. Red wine does not equal healthy. You’re better off having grape juice — or, even better, a bowl of grapes!”

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