Interesting findings...
Image via PixabayIf you're fond of a glass of red, there's a chance it could also have some health benefits.
A new study apparently looked at data on nearly half a million UK residents and found that subjects who drank red wine had a 10 to 17 percent lower risk of contracting Covid than non-drinkers.
Now before you rush out to buy your body weight in vino, we're not talking about people who guzzle the stuff.
The study looked at people who drank one to two glasses a day
The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, and was conducted by a team of researchers in at a hospital in China.
It's best not to take the study as gospel, as the Wine Spectator reports:
A study like this looks at correlation, not causation, so it's unclear why red wine drinkers had a lower infection rate.
It could be that other factors are at play: Red wine drinkers may be less likely to suffer from other COVID risks; they may exercise more or have better nutrition; or they may be more likely to be vaccinated.
So there are some aspects to consider on top of whether someone is a red wine drinker or not.
But study authors reckon there is something to be said for red wine over other types of alcohol:
"Red wine provides additional benefits to other alcoholic beverages probably due to its higher polyphenolic content, by decreasing blood pressure, inhibiting the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein particles and other favorable effects on the cellular redox state, improving endothelial function, inhibiting platelet aggregation, reducing inflammation and cell adhesion and activating proteins that prevent cell death."
The authors have called for further study into the topic.
