Want to lower your risk of heart disease? Researchers say drinking a glass of wine everyday could help.
New findings from the European Society of Cardiology reveal that those who drank wine regularly were less likely to develop the disease–although it only worked for those who were already physically active.
Milos Taborsky, who presented the research at the European Society of Cardiology Congress, now says that staying active is essential for keeping your heart healthy.
“This is the first randomised [sic] trial comparing the effects of red and white wine on markers of atherosclerosis in people at mild to moderate risk of CVD [cardiovascular disease],” says Taborsky. “We found that moderate wine drinking was only protective in people who exercised. Red and white wine produced the same results.”
The Study
To researchers, the news that wine had cardioprotective benefits wasn’t anything new. Since the early 1990s, research confirmed that red wine could reduce the risk of heart disease. However, until now, it wasn’t know that other factors–such as staying physically active–could influence how effective it was at preventing this disease.
Taborsky initially made these findings after completing the In Vino Vertias (IVV) study, which looked at the effects of red wine in people with a mild to moderate risk of cardiovascular disease. Split into two groups, the participants randomly received one of two drinks: red wine or white wine. Then, for the next year, researchers examined how it affected certain risk factors linked to heart disease–such as high cholesterol. Participants also self-reported how much they exercised and what medications they used.
By the end of the study, Taborsky found that red wine lowered the participants’ total cholesterol, which wasn’t surprising. But what surprised him was that those who drank red wine and exercised regularly had the most significant improvements in cholesterol, lowering their risk of heart disease.
“The only positive and continuous result was in the subgroup of patients who took more exercise, which means regular exercise at least twice a week, plus the wine consumption,” says Taborsky. “In this group HDL cholesterol increased and LDL and total cholesterol decreased in the
red and white wine groups. There may be some synergy between the low dose of ethyl alcohol in wine and exercise which is protective against CVD.”
Bottom line? If you’re drinking wine to reduce your risk of heart disease, make sure you’re exercising too.
“Our current study shows that the combination of moderate wine drinking plus regular exercise improves markers of atherosclerosis, suggesting that this combination is protective against cardiovascular disease,” says Taborsky.
What You Should Do
Want to lower your risk of heart disease? Then it’s simple: Drink more red wine. Make sure to pair it with a regular exercise plan as well to improve its benefits, however–in the study, participants exercised at least twice a week.
Readers: What other lifestyle changes have you made to reduce your risk of heart disease?
Sources:
Study: Red Wine and Exercise Help Lower Risk of Heart Disease – ScienceDaily.com
Red Wine Only Reduces Heart Disease Risk if Paired With Exercise – EurekAlert.org
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