Is red wine good for your heart? Cardiac surgeon with 25 years of experience breaks down the common notion

For years, drinking red wine has been cushioned with the belief that it comes with heart health benefits, but is there scientific evidence backing this claim?

Unwinding with a glass of red wine at the end of a long week often comes with a reassuring belief - that it is not just relaxing, but also good for your heart. For years, red wine has been linked to heart health thanks to its antioxidant content, making it seem like a rare indulgence with added benefits. But how much of this claim is backed by science, and does alcohol truly deserve its ‘heart-healthy’ reputation? A heart surgeon weighs in on what the evidence actually shows.

Is red wine good for health? Read more to find out! (Unsplash)

Dr Jeremy London, a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon with over 25 years of experience, appeared on the July 7 episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast, where he breaks down the widely held belief that red wine is good for heart health. He explains why red wine came to be considered healthy in the first place and examines whether its purported compounded effects offer any real benefit.

Antioxidants in red wine

Dr London addresses the common notion that red wine is good for the heart, explaining that grapes contain polyphenols which act as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds - these have a dilating effect on the blood vessels, which can be beneficial in promoting blood flow.

He states, “The truth is red wine and in fact the grapes, the skin of the red wine do contain polyphenols, which are antioxidants and think of them as kind of anti-inflammatories, as we kind of have this whole conversation. Specifically, resveratrol is what this compound is called. And it has been found to make blood cells slippery and dilate blood vessels.”

Does that make red wine healthy?

Expanding on the polyphenol content of red wine, Dr London cautions that the amount one would need to consume in order to unlock any meaningful benefits would be “astronomical” - and that such levels of alcohol intake would easily negate any potential antioxidant advantages. However, he adds that some recent studies suggest there may be potential benefits from the combined effects of resveratrol.

Dr London states, “The amount of red wine that you would have to drink to get a therapeutic level of resveratrol, however, would be astronomical and the risks of the alcohol would far outweigh any benefit that you got from the resveratrol. That being said, there are compounded products of resveratrol and there are human studies now that are starting to show a trend that there may be something positive.”

Red wine is still alcohol

The heart surgeon concludes by advising that red wine should be enjoyed for pleasure, not consumed under the assumption that it is beneficial for heart health. He highlights, “What would be the takeaway? If you enjoy red wine, drink red wine. But don't drink red wine because you think it's good for your heart.”

However, he also adds that red wine is alcohol at the end of the day, and it is best to limit or eliminate alcohol altogether because it is toxic at a cellular level. He explains, “Alcohol falls in that same key category of something that's toxic to every cell in the body. So I think limiting or entirely avoiding alcohol just makes good sense.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.