Red Wine for Health? Cardiologist Debunks Myths About Alcohol Consumption

• A Glass of Wine Good for the Heart: Truth or Myth?
• - We don't really know what mechanism would be responsible for the protective effect of alcohol, because the hypotheses on this subject so far have not been confirmed - says Prof. Zbigniew Gaciong.
• - Drinking alcohol certainly cannot be recommended as a potential health benefit and there are not uncommon circumstances among our patients where abstinence can improve the prognosis - he emphasizes

Many people have probably heard from more than one doctor that a glass of red wine is good for the heart. The question is, is this true or a myth, and is it better to change doctors who say so? Professor Zbigniew Gaciong from the Department and Clinic of Internal Medicine, Arterial Hypertension, and Angiology at the Faculty of Medicine of the Medical University of Warsaw decided to debunk this myth.

A large global epidemiological study funded by the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation shows that alcohol now ranks third on the list of risk factors for premature death.

- This is associated with an increased risk of many diseases, not only those considered classic alcohol-related diseases, such as liver cirrhosis.

So where does the belief come from that small amounts, especially of red wine, are good for your health, especially your heart?

Some people believe this is the case, especially since such opinions can be easily found online. But what's the reality?

"Let's look at how health and alcohol interrelate. Let's treat alcohol as a medical substance, as a drug. A drug has certain characteristics; we know where it's absorbed, how it's distributed, and how it's eliminated," said Professor Gaciong.

And alcohol? "In this respect, it has certain distinguishing features. Firstly, it is very well absorbed, which cannot be said for many medications. Secondly, it is distributed everywhere. It is a small molecule that permeates every cell, especially in organs that are richly vascularized: the brain, heart, and liver. It does not have a single specific receptor. By comparison, cancer drugs have very precisely defined receptors and do not affect other cells. Alcohol affects practically everything and has a paradoxical effect, first stimulating, then putting to sleep. There are also differences between the sexes," the expert explained.

A beneficial effect just from looking at it

Where did the belief come from that so-called moderate drinking is harmless, or perhaps even beneficial?

"This is why I became interested in research on the impact of alcohol on public health," emphasized Professor Gaciong, citing a large-scale study that shows the curve of alcohol consumption measured in so-called drinks per day and the risk of coronary heart disease: "Those who don't drink, compared to those who drink up to several drinks per day, have a higher risk of coronary heart disease. At the same time, other data show that the overall health risk increases from the first few drinks."

Let's also look at the gender difference. The professor presented the results of an American study that analyzed alcohol consumption, deaths, and various diseases by gender: "It turns out that in women, this beneficial effect occurs at amounts of pure ethanol between 0.1 and 1.4 milliliters. Therefore, it would be enough for a woman to buy wine and look at it, and the beneficial effect should already occur. This raises doubts about this beneficial effect."

The next question is, what is the source of these benefits? Studies have shown a number of potentially beneficial effects of alcohol consumption. For example, it improves good cholesterol levels. But we also know that it also increases triglyceride levels, a substance that has a pronounced pressor effect. This means that those who drink even one serving have a blood pressure increase of up to 1.5 millimeters of mercury, and on a population scale, these values ​​translate into an increased risk of death.

What matters is not what we drink, but how we drink it.

The health benefits of red wine are sometimes attributed to its component, resveratrol. This natural antioxidant is produced by grapevines in response to fungal infections.

Its antioxidant properties make it considered a substance that is potentially “good” for health because it neutralizes free radicals.

The professor cited studies on mice that induced atherosclerosis. Those given resveratrol were healthier and smarter. However, if the dose were applied to humans, it would turn out that to achieve a similar effect, a person would have to drink up to 1,000 liters of wine a day. Furthermore, modern wine-making technologies reduce resveratrol content, further questioning the substance's true impact.

Secondly, if resveratrol is key to wine's beneficial effects on health, beer and vodka shouldn't demonstrate similar protective effects because they don't contain it. However, research shows that in moderate doses, all of these alcohols have a similar effect on survival and disease risk.

Conclusion: it's not what we drink that matters, but how we drink it. Another observation shows that even with the same average amount of alcohol consumed, the risk of death, cardiovascular disease, and other diseases increases significantly if binge drinking, i.e., binge drinking, predominates.

- Binge drinking does not provide any protection against cardiovascular diseases - the expert emphasized.

Conclusion: alcohol should not be recommended for health reasons

Scientific societies recommend limiting consumption to one serving a day for women and two for men, considering this to be the limit of relative safety.

But there are situations where even minimal alcohol consumption can be dangerous to the heart. "These are all patients with heart disease. If someone has heart damage, the recommendation is zero alcohol. Even a token glass of champagne at a family gathering is contraindicated. This is a binary situation," Professor Gaciong categorically emphasized.

As evidence, he presented data showing that in patients with heart damage, abstinence promotes normalization of ejection fraction and cardiac function, and any reduction in alcohol consumption improves prognosis. However, continued drinking leads to the worsening of end-stage heart failure. The same applies to atrial fibrillation. The risk of recurrence of this arrhythmia increases proportionally with alcohol consumption.

Therefore, alcohol should not be recommended for non-drinkers. For moderate drinkers, the reported beneficial effects may be due to other factors, such as a healthier lifestyle, a better diet, lower body weight, and not smoking.

"We don't really know what mechanism would be responsible for the protective effect of alcohol, because previous hypotheses on this topic have not been proven. Drinking alcohol certainly cannot be recommended as a potential health benefit, and there are not uncommon circumstances among our patients where abstinence can improve the prognosis," noted Professor Gaciong.

Statement recorded during the 24th National Conference "Polish Woman in Europe" (Warsaw, September 19, 2025).

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