A glass of wine with a meal may lower risk of Type 2 diabetes

According to preliminary research presented at an American Heart Association conference, a study of more than 312,000 drinkers found that drinking wine with a meal lowers the risk of Type 2 diabetes. The analysis showed that only moderate drinking had a positive impact on health, which means women can have one glass of wine per day, and men can have up to two glasses of wine daily.

A glass of wine is considered 5 ounces with 12% alcohol.

The analysis emphasized that wine should be consumed with a meal to see added benefits. The risk of getting Type 2 diabetes drops by 14% when drinking wine with a meal, compared to drinking it without a meal. The analysis concluded that antioxidants found in wine may be a reason for the added benefits.

“The message from this study is that drinking moderate amounts of wine with meals may prevent Type 2 diabetes if you do not have another health condition that may be negatively affected by moderate alcohol consumption and in consultation with your doctor,” study author Dr. Hao Ma, a biostatistical analyst at the Tulane University Obesity Research Center in New Orleans, said in a press release.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that no individual either begin drinking or drink more for any reason. If you are a nondrinker, the results of the study should not be used as encouragement to start drinking. The risk of overconsumption of alcohol far outweighs the benefits.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention names many health risks associated with alcohol consumption. These risks include alcohol poisoning, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, liver disease, dementia and mental health issues.

According to Healthline, if you’re choosing between white and red wine, red wine is the healthier choice. Red wine has high contents of resveratrol, which is a polyphenol and is a strong antioxidant found in the skin of grapes. Other benefits of moderate consumption of red wine include increasing heart, gut and brain health.

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