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Effect of red wine and red grape extract on blood lipids, haemostatic factors, and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 59, pages 449–455 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

Some epidemiological studies found a lower risk of cardiovascular disease among wine drinkers than among drinkers of other types of ethanol. This difference might be due to an effect of nonalcohol compounds in wine on important cardiovascular risk factors. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of red wine, nonalcohol compounds of red wine and placebo on established cardiovascular risk factors.

Design:

A parallel, four-armed intervention study.

Subjects:

A total of 69 healthy 38–74-y-old men and women.

Interventions:

Subjects were randomised to either 1: red wine (males: 300 ml/day, 38.3 g alcohol/day, female subjects: 200 ml/day, 25.5 g alcohol/day), 2: water+red grape extract tablets (wine-equivalent dose), 3: water+red grape extract tablets (half dose), or 4: water+placebo tablets for a period of 4 weeks. No other sources of alcohol or anthocyanin were allowed. Plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-C/LDL-C-ratio, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, fibrinogen, factor VII coagulant activity (FVIIc), blood pressure, and body weight were determined before and after intervention.

Results:

Wine consumption was associated with a significant 11–16% increase in fasting HDL-C and 8–15% decrease in fasting fibrinogen relative to not drinking wine. There were no significant treatment effects on fasting LDL-C, HDL-C/LDL-C-ratio, VLDL-triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, FVIIc, or blood pressure. Drinking wine was associated with relative body weight increments closely corresponding to the energy contributed by the alcohol component.

Conclusion:

Moderate red wine consumption for 4 weeks is associated with desirable changes in HDL-C and fibrinogen compared with drinking water with or without red grape extract. The impact of wine on the measured cardiovascular risk factors thus seems primarily explained by an alcohol effect. Our finding suggests that the putative difference in cardiac risk associated with wine vs other alcoholic beverages might be rather explained by other life-style confounders than by red wine contents of nonalcohol components.

Sponsorship:

This study was supported by Chr. Hansen A/S, Denmark.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Department of Human Nutrition, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, Denmark

    A S Hansen & P Marckmann

  2. Danish Epidemiology Science Centre at the Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

    A S Hansen & M Grønbæk

  3. Institute of Food Safety and Toxicology, Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, Søborg, Denmark

    L O Dragsted, I -L Finné Nielsen & S E Nielsen

  4. Centre of Alcohol Research, National Institute of Public Health, Svanemøllevej 25, Copenhagen, Denmark

    M Grønbæk

Authors
  1. A S Hansen
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  2. P Marckmann
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  3. L O Dragsted
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  4. I -L Finné Nielsen
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  5. S E Nielsen
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  6. M Grønbæk
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M Grønbæk.

Additional information

Guarantors: P Marckmann and M Grønbæk.

Contributors: ASH, PM and MG initiated the formulation of the primary study hypothesis, discussed the core ideas, designed the protocol and wrote the paper. ASH collected and analysed all data. LOD, I-LFN and SEN discussed the core ideas, performed the biochemical analysis and edited the paper.

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Hansen, A., Marckmann, P., Dragsted, L. et al. Effect of red wine and red grape extract on blood lipids, haemostatic factors, and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, 449–455 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602107

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602107

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