Abstract
Wine is a popular alcoholic beverage that has been consumed for hundreds of years. Benefits from moderate alcohol consumption have been widely supported by the scientific literature and, in this line, red wine intake has been related to a lesser risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). Experimental studies and meta-analyses have mainly attributed this outcome to the presence in red wine of a great variety of polyphenolic compounds such as resveratrol, catechin, epicatechin, quercetin, and anthocyanin. Resveratrol is considered the most effective wine compound with respect to the prevention of CHD because of its antioxidant properties. The mechanisms responsible for its putative cardioprotective effects would include changes in lipid profiles, reduction of insulin resistance, and decrease in oxidative stress of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The aim of this review is to summarize the accumulated evidence correlating moderate red wine consumption with prevention of CHD by focusing on the different mechanisms underlying this relationship. Furthermore, the chemistry of wine as well as chemical factors that influence the composition of the bioactive components of red wine are also discussed.
Highlights
Coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke are the leading causes of mortality, disability, and death in developed countries [1]
The results showed that alcohol consumption increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels rather than polyphenols in light moderate drinkers and partly explained the cardioprotective effect displayed by alcohol consumption
These findings suggest that a light to moderate alcohol consumption, especially with red wine, may be associated with improved insulin resistance and with a lower incidence of diabetes, providing another potential explanation for the reduction of cardiovascular events associated with moderate alcohol intake
Summary
Coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke are the leading causes of mortality, disability, and death in developed countries [1]. Several studies provide evidence that light–moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a higher level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), a lower incidence of type-2 diabetes (T2D), and a reduction of lipid oxidative stress [7,8,9,10]. Such epidemiological studies have supported that red wine consumption is more CHD-preventative in comparison to the intake of other alcoholic beverages [11]. It is uncertain whether the apparent beneficial properties for health attributed to the consumption of red wine are due solely to the presence of alcohol or to the concerted action
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