Alcohol-free alcohol can keep your heart healthy

Alcohol-free wine may keep doctors away, according to new research. Experts at Anglia Ruskin University analyzed data from nearly 450,000 people aged 40 to 69 to look at the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on their health. . They found that among those who drank 11 glasses of wine a week, the risk of chronic heart disease was reduced by 40 percent. The same low risk was found in those who regularly consumed the non-alcoholic versions. The results suggest that these benefits are due to the grapes in the wine.

Alcohol free drinks are good for heart health

The Daily Mail reported that it is not the alcohol that benefits you, but the presence of antioxidants in grapes found in alcohol. Grapes are high in antioxidants called polyphenols, which may improve the function of the inner lining of the heart and maintain healthy levels. can increase. Cholesterol. On the other hand, drinking moderate amounts of beer, cider or spirits was associated with an increased risk of about 10 percent. “I believe the findings refute the notion that moderate alcohol consumption may help reduce the risk of heart disease,” said Dr. Rudolph, associate professor at Anglia Ruskin University.

Participants themselves reported how much beer, cider, wine, champagne and spirits they consumed per week. Researchers monitored their health for seven years, including overall mortality, heart problems, cancer and cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke. They reported that people who drank 4-5 glasses of champagne or white wine or 8 to 11 glasses of red wine had a lower risk of coronary heart disease. This relationship is also observed for alcohol-free wines. Rudolph said the research showed an “undeniable protective beneficial association” between red and white wine and heart disease. He explained that this relationship is also seen for alcohol-free wines, so suggesting that the benefits are thanks to the polyphenols in the wine, rather than the alcohol itself.

Drinking alcohol even at low levels is harmful

Polyphenols have been found to be beneficial for health in many studies. According to research, consumption of low levels of beer, cider and spirits was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke, cancer and overall mortality. support the notion that alcohol in any form is beneficial to health”.

Current recommendations in the UK are no more than 14 units of alcohol a week. Rudolph said that even low levels of alcohol can be harmful to our health. The results of the research have been published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Previous studies show that drinking alcohol 3-7 days per week reduces the risk of heart attack. However, comparing a group of low to moderate drinkers with an ‘at-risk’ reference group of non-drinkers may falsely indicate that alcohol is beneficial to health.

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