Moderate consumption of both vodka and wine can reduce cardiovascular risk, with red wine offering greater protection because of its antioxidant properties.
In a recent study on the effects of red wine and vodka, conducted on pigs suffering from high cholesterol, Rhode Island Hospital researcher Frank Sellke, M.D., chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals, and his colleagues, discovered Pinot Noir made a larger impact than vodka.
A property found in red wine known as resveratrol has been reported to show several health benefits. Low doses of resveratrol can improve cell survival as a mechanism of cardio- and neuro-protection, while high doses increase cell death. Previous research has been done on the benefits of moderate wine consumption, but these authors wanted to incorporate other medical issues, such as high cholesterol and examine the connection with wine and vodka consumption.
This study, published in the journal Circulation, involved three groups of pigs that had been on a high fat diet. One group remained on the high fat diet, the second group added a daily dose of red wine, and the third group added a daily dose of vodka. An equal amount of alcohol was provided to groups two and three by mixing it into their food.
After seven weeks, both groups receiving alcohol supplements showed increased cardiovascular advantages, with red wine having the largest increase in blood flow to the heart. It was also determined that good cholesterol levels (HDL) increased, while total cholesterol levels were unchanged in both groups consuming alcohol. HDL helps by pushing LDL (bad cholesterol) to the liver to be metabolized, preventing hardening of the arteries and other cardiac issues.
During this study, researchers saw that both red wine and vodka are advantageous for the heart in different ways. Vodka causes more collateral vessels to develop, while red wine expands blood vessels. These findings reveal which types of alcohol might reduce cardiovascular risk by moderate intake. It has also been reported in previous studies that equal amounts of polyphenols were found in red wine and nonalcoholic wine.
Polyphenols are antioxidants that are known to have a variety of health benefits, including decreasing blood pressure, preventing cancer, and reducing the chances of heart disease by eliminating free radicals that can potentially cause damage to the body. It is yet to be determined if these same effects will be seen in humans.
Earlier research has said that beer, wine and spirits are associated with decreased cardiovascular risk. The most well known substance unique to red wine that has been investigated is resveratrol, which has been previously linked to health benefits because of its anti-cancer and diabetes prevention properties. Among different type of wine, resveratrol content varies. California pinot noir is said to have one of the highest contents of resveratrol, but for this particular study, the level of resveratrol in the wine was lower than those reported for other red wines.
Written by Kelly Fitzgerald