Two new studies touting the benefits of wine are giving new meaning to the common toast: To your health!
Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital have found light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of stroke in women. Meanwhile, a research team from the Netherlands has linked resveratrol -- a natural polyphenol found in high quantities in red wine – to improved lung function and a lower risk of respiratory problems, based on a new review of wine studies.
The stroke study, published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke, tracked the health of 83,578 women enrolled in the long-running the Nurses' Health Study over a 26-year period. As part of the study, women provided information on diet, including self-reported alcohol consumption, lifestyle factors and stroke events.
In examining the 2,171 incidents of stroke among the study participants, researchers found women who drank the between one half and 1.5 glasses of glasses of wine, beer or a mixed drink each day had a lower risk of stroke than women who never drank.
The researchers suggested alcohol may have components to prevent blood clots and cholesterol from building up in the arteries, both of which can lead to stroke. The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.
The second study reviewed several pieces of new research that assessed the impact of wine and resveratrol on lung function. Researchers found, overall, the studies have found pure resveratrol (found in red wine) boosts lung function and white wine lowers the risk of airway obstruction.
“Based on a number of scientific studies,” the researchers wrote, “moderate wine intake appears to have a favorable effect on lung function.”