Wine and heart health
Health and wine; Wine and heart disease; Preventing heart disease - wine; Preventing heart disease - alcohol
Studies have shown that adults who drink light to moderate amounts of alcohol may be less likely to develop heart disease than those who do not drink at all or are heavy drinkers. However, people who do not drink alcohol should not start just because they want to avoid developing heart disease.
The United States Dietary Guidelines recommend that if you drink, do so in moderation and when consumption does not put you or others at risk.
Information
There is a fine line between healthy drinking and risky drinking. Do not begin drinking or drink more often just to lower your risk of heart disease. Heavier drinking can harm the heart and liver. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in people who abuse alcohol.
Health care providers recommend that if you drink alcohol, drink only light to moderate amounts:
- For men, limit alcohol to 1 to 2 drinks a day.
- For women, limit alcohol to 1 drink a day.
One drink is defined as:
- 4 ounces (118 milliliters, mL) of wine
- 12 ounces (355 mL) of beer
- 1 1/2 ounces (44 mL) of 80-proof spirits
- 1 ounce (30 mL) of 100-proof spirits
Though research has found that alcohol use may be associated with a lower chance of heart disease, much more effective ways to prevent heart disease include:
- Controlling blood pressure and cholesterol
- Exercising and following a low-fat, healthy diet
- Not smoking
- Maintaining an ideal weight
Anyone who has heart disease or heart failure should talk to their provider before drinking alcohol. Alcohol can make heart failure and other heart problems worse.
References
Kloner RA, Rezkalla S. Cardiomyopathies induced by drugs or toxins. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine.12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 84.
Mozaffarian D. Nutrition and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine.12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 29.
Snetselaar LG, de Jesus JM, DeSilva DM, Stoody EE. Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025: understanding the scientific process, guidelines, and key recommendations. Nutr Today. 2021;56(6):287-295. PMID: 34987271
Version Info
Last reviewed on: 5/12/2022
Reviewed by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
