What impact does a glass of wine with dinner every night have on your body? A good one, according to a new study, which confirms what we all wanted to hear: red wine is good for you, in small doses.
While we know too much booze is bad for your health and your waistline, apparently moderate drinkers can enjoy lower incidences of cardiovascular disease and a whole range of other health benefits.
A new study from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that a nightly glass with dinner is "just right", for certain people. Those in the study with well-controlled type-2 diabetes and with a low risk for alcohol abuse were told to drink dry white wine, or red wine, or mineral water with dinner, and following a Mediterranean diet for two years.
And the results revealed that those drinking red wine had higher levels of 'good' cholesterol, improved conditions for metabolic syndrome (obesity, high blood pressure and dianetes) and better sleep quality than those that drank water with no adverse effects.
Of course, this study doesn't prove that red wine is amazing for your body, but it is interesting that just a little bit of red wine every night can have health benefits - especially when paired with a nutrient-rich mediterranean diet. So crack open the Chianti and pass the olive oil our way...