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At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
- Nutrition Research: Grape Seed and Red Wine Polyphenol Extracts Inhibit Cellular Cholesterol Uptake, Cell Proliferation, and 5-Lipoxygenase Activity
- Atherosclerosis: The Effect of Chronic Consumption of Red Wine on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women
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Can Wine Affect Your Cholesterol?
Drinking a glass or two of red wine each day may help lower your heart disease risk, according to a study published in "Seminars in Thrombosis and Hemostasis" in 2010. The evidence is still conflicting, however, of the effects of wine on cholesterol levels and whether wine has any increased heart-health benefits compared to other forms of alcohol. Experts don't recommend starting to drink wine if you currently abstain from alcohol, as more evidence is needed on the risks versus the benefits.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
Effect on Cholesterol Levels
Studies on wine and cholesterol levels haven't all shown the same beneficial effects 1. Moderate alcohol consumption may increase beneficial high-density lipoprotein levels by up to 17 percent and decrease unhealthy low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, levels by up to 8 percent, according to a study published in "Atherosclerosis" in April 2006. Some other studies, including one published in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2005, have found that red wine increases HDL levels but doesn't have a significant effect on LDL levels 4. Increasing HDL levels may still help lower heart disease risk, however, even without a decrease in LDL levels.
Cholesterol Absorption
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Red wine appears to limit the amount of cholesterol your cells absorb by up to 66 percent, according to a study published in "Nutrition Research" in December 2008. If your cells don't take in the cholesterol, it can't be stored in the body. This unabsorbed cholesterol may then be removed from your body, helping to lower your heart disease risk.
Active Ingredients
Antioxidants in red wine, called polyphenols, may be responsible for some of the beneficial effects of wine, including limiting the absorption of cholesterol, according to the "Nutrition Research" study. The "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" study authors note that the beneficial effects of wine on HDL cholesterol appear to be due mainly to its alcohol content because water with red grape extract containing polyphenols didn't increase HDL levels the way wine itself did 4.
Differential Effects
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Drinking red wine may not cause the same improvements in cholesterol levels in everybody. A study published in "Clinics" in May 2009 found that while people with normal cholesterol experienced increases in beneficial HDL cholesterol levels after consuming about 8.5 ounces of wine per day for 15 days, people with high blood pressure or high cholesterol didn't experience this benefit.
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References
- Clinics: Short-Term Red Wine Consumption Promotes Differential Effects on Plasma Levels of High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, Sympathetic Activity, and Endothelial Function in Hypercholesterolemic, Hypertensive, and Healthy Subjects
- Nutrition Research: Grape Seed and Red Wine Polyphenol Extracts Inhibit Cellular Cholesterol Uptake, Cell Proliferation, and 5-Lipoxygenase Activity
- Atherosclerosis: The Effect of Chronic Consumption of Red Wine on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women
- European Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Effect of Red Wine and Red Grape Extract on Blood Lipids, Haemostatic Factors, and Other Risk Factors For Cardiovascular Disease
- Wine, table, red. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published April 1, 2019.
- Wine, table, white. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published April 1, 2019.
- Snopek L, Mlcek J, Sochorova L, et al. Contribution of Red Wine Consumption to Human Health Protection. Molecules. 2018;23(7):1684. Published 2018 Jul 11. doi:10.3390/molecules23071684
- Wine and heart health. National Library of Medicine. Updated January 6, 2020.
- Wine and beer may make your lungs and sinuses worse. American Academy of Asthma, Allergy, & Immunology. Published September 1, 2014.
Writer Bio
Based in Massachusetts, Jessica Bruso has been writing since 2008. She holds a master of science degree in food policy and applied nutrition and a bachelor of arts degree in international relations, both from Tufts University.