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A study by six Italian scientists published in the nutritional science journal "Nutrients" shows that drinking and eating habits can play an important role when it comes to the health effects of alcoholic beverages. In particular, it was found that adherence to the so-called Mediterranean diet - i.e. the predominant consumption of fruit, vegetables, seafood, nuts, wholemeal products and olive oil - significantly mitigates the effects of moderate alcohol consumption. The researchers analysed data from 3,411 consumers of alcoholic beverages between 2006 and 2022, assessing consumption patterns using the "Mediterranean Alcohol Consumption Pattern" (MADP). This includes
The first two points were overweighted in the analysis.
The study revealed a widespread pattern of moderate wine consumption with meals among the probands, which is typical of the southern Italian population and the Mediterranean diet. As previous analyses have revealed, moderate wine consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and all-cause mortality. The current results also showed lower mortality among wine consumers compared to consumers of other alcoholic beverages.
However, people who did not adhere to the Mediterranean diet and the MADP had the highest risk of cancer and mortality. The researchers therefore concluded that a diet in line with the Mediterranean diet could significantly reduce the potentially harmful effects of moderate amounts of alcohol, especially for wine consumers. In assessing the impact on mortality, the researchers emphasise the relevance of taking into account drinking habits, the type of alcoholic beverages and diet.
The protective effect of wine could be partly due to the bioactive compounds and polyphenols in wine and partly due to the lower total amount of alcohol consumed. People with good eating habits and high adherence to the Mediterranean diet rarely consumed excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages.
(al / Source: Wine Information Council)