Drinking wine could slash your risk of heart disease by 50% – but there’s a catch

A GLASS of wine per day could halve your risk of heart attack and even work better than medicine, a study claims.

It comes just in time for a merry Christmas next week – but there’s a catch.

Experts at the University of Barcelona found “light to moderate” wine drinkers had a lower risk of serious heart problems than teetotallers.

But self-control is the key, and the health benefits vanish if you drink more than a single glass.

They tested the effects over five years on 1,232 people who ate healthy Mediterranean diets but had above-average risk of a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke.

A urine test for a chemical called tartaric acid revealed precisely how much people drank, making the study more accurate than previous research.

A risk reduction of 50 per cent is much higher than can be achieved with some drugs, such as statins

Professor Ramon EstruchUniversity of Barcelona

Professor Ramon Estruch found consuming between half a glass and a full glass of wine per day, on average, reduced heart risk by 50 per cent compared to non-drinkers.

Drinking occasionally but less than one glass per week cut the danger by 38 per cent.

People who drank more than one glass of wine per day, on average, got no protection.

Writing in the European Heart Journal, Prof Estruch said: “We have found a much greater protective effect of wine than that observed in other studies. 

“A reduction in risk of 50 per cent is much higher than can be achieved with some drugs, such as statins.

“Recent studies indicate that the protective effects of wine consumption are observed starting from the age of 35 to 40. 

“It is also important to note that moderate consumption for women should always be half that of men, and it should be consumed with meals.”

Research shows the grapes used to make wine are packed with antioxidants that can be good for the heart and blood vessels.

Red wine usually ranks as the healthiest tipple.

The NHS says people should not drink more than six glasses of wine per week – equal to 14 units.

‘Not the all-clear to crack open a bottle’

Professor Naveed Sattar, of the University of Glasgow, was not involved with the study but said: “We know that many people who are not drinking may have cut down or stopped alcohol due to illness.

“This leads to a false sense of ‘lower risk’ amongst those drinking even moderate amounts.”

Tracy Parker, of the British Heart Foundation, said: “The study suggests that low to moderate wine consumption may lower cardiovascular disease risk but it is not the all-clear to crack open a bottle of red wine. 

“It is well documented that excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to heart health.”