Wine Intake in the Framework of a Mediterranean Diet and Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases: A Short Literature Review of the Last 5 Years

Abstract

Dietary habits are a determining factor of the higher incidence and prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In the aim to find a possible preventive and intervention strategy, the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has been proposed as an effective approach. Within the MedDiet, moderate wine consumption with meals is a positive item in the MedDiet score; however, recent studies have reported a dose-response association between alcohol consumption and higher risk of a large number of NCDs. This review aimed to evaluate the association between NCDs and wine consumption in the framework of the MedDiet, with a simple review of 22 studies of the highest-level literature published over the last five years. We found that the information regarding the effects of wine in different health outcomes has not varied widely over the past five years, finding inconclusive results among the studies evaluated. Most of the literature agrees that light to moderate wine intake seems to have beneficial effects to some extent in NCDs, such as hypertension, cancer, dyslipidemia and dementia, but no definitive recommendations can be made on a specific dose intake that can benefit most diseases.

Effect of red wine or its polyphenols on induced apical periodontitis in rats

“…A reduced TRAP immunolabeled cells are noted in the R+Q group. be made at this time (Minzer et al, 2020). Furthermore, excessive alcohol consumption is well known as a major public health concern (Ventura-Cots et al, 2019).…”

Polyphenol-Rich and Alcoholic Beverages and Metabolic Status in Adults Living in Sicily, Southern Italy

“…Albeit a recent study of the Global Burden of Disease reported the impact of alcohol consumption (measured as harmonized exposure to one standard drink) on disability-adjusted life years and number of deaths, it fails discriminating type of alcohol, frequency (i.e., once per day vs. seven drinks in a day over a week), and occasion (i.e., during meals vs. overnight) [ 53 ]. There is a long tradition supporting the moderate consumption of alcohol (especially red wine) in the context of healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet [ 14 ], while scientific evidence from meta-analyses shows a clear J-curve association with risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality [ 54 , 55 , 56 ]. Alcohol consumption is strongly affected by the cultural heritage of a population, thus it is not surprising, although it is partially in contrast with the literature, that in the present study the intake of red wine, beer, and white wine (to a lesser extent), have been found to be associated with lower odds of some of the metabolic outcomes investigated.…”

“…At least part of these potential effects have been attributed to its content in resveratrol, a polyphenol compound belonging to the stilbenes group, which has been shown to have anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, and blood lipid-lowering properties, especially in laboratory studies [ 9 , 10 ], while other evidence has been drawn in a human clinical setting [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Furthermore, several studies have demonstrated the favorable effects of white wine intake toward cardiovascular health through modulation of oxidative stress and metabolic biomarkers [ 14 ]. However, similar associations with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease have been reported for other alcoholic beverages as well, including beer and spirits, opening the question as to whether other polyphenol groups might have the same effects, or if alcohol content might be responsible for the aforementioned observational findings.…”

Effects of Wine Components in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

“…Flavonoids are represented by flavonols (quercetin and myricetin), chalcones, flavononols, flavanols (catechin and epicatechin), flavones, anthocyanidins and isoflavonoids. Non-flavonoids are represented by phenolic acids, stilbenes (resveratrol), coumarins, lignans, and tannins [ 25 , 26 ]. Most of these compounds have demonstrated some or all of these desired effects: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-microbial ( Figure 1 ) [ 27 , 28 ].…”