Red Wine Drinkers Weigh Less

AnninStPaul

http://theweek.com/article/index/200613/wine-the-new-weight-loss-miracle

Wine: The new weight-loss miracle?
A new study says women who drink wine daily are less likely to gain weight than non-imbibing counterparts. What gives?
POSTED ON MARCH 10, 2010, AT 6:30 AM

Could wine keep you slim?
Could a daily wine habit prevent weight gain? Yes, according to a new study by experts at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, suggesting that women who drink a moderate amount of alcohol daily—especially red wine—are less likely to pack on the pounds in midlife than women who drink occasionally, or don't drink at all. The study, which followed 20,000 women over a period of 13 years, represents some of the most comprehensive findings on the impact of alcohol on weight. Here, a look at the evidence for the "new wine paradox":

Is wine the only 'slimming alcohol'? No, but it seems to be the most beneficial one. Though researchers found that women who drink any type of alcohol in moderation tend to be slimmer than nondrinkers—they found the strongest association between relative slenderness and vino consumption.

What's a 'moderate' amount of wine? A lot less than you probably think. The study defined "moderate" as one 125-calorie, 5-ounce serving daily—about half what you'll find in a single typical restaurant pour.

How much lighter than average were the wine-drinkers? The imbibers managed to maintain a weight that was, on average, around 4.5 lbs less than the nondrinkers'—statistically significant, but not noteworthy enough, it seems, for wine manufacturers to start touting vino as the newest diet craze. Somewhat confusingly, the more the women drank, the slimmer they stayed—a "curious" finding that researchers say warrants "further investigation."

Why do researchers think wine keeps women slim? They're not entirely sure, but plenty of theories are being floated, ranging from the obvious—the notion that wine drinkers find "liquid dinners" sufficiently satisfying, ultimately ingesting fewer calories—to the intriguing: Resveratrol, a chemical compound found in grape skins and renowned for its anti-aging properties, might also have "anti-obesity properties."

Were results similar with male research subjects? It doesn't look like it. While this study focused on women, other studies show that male drinkers pack on the pounds just as quickly as their nondrinking counterparts. Some scientists hypothesize that, unlike women, men drink alcohol on top of their daily food intake, while others believe that men metabolize booze differently.

Does moderate alcohol consumption have other health benefits? Other studies have suggested that a light drinking habit helps the heart, reduces the risk of age-related mental illness like dementia, and may even reduce the likelihood of depression.

But surely women shouldn't start drinking to stay slim? This is a study, not advice. "If the message is that by drinking some alcohol you're going to lose weight, that's a potentially complicated and dangerous message," warns Dr. James C. Garbutt, a professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina's Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, as quoted in the Los Angeles Times.

moushtie

Maybe women who can manage to drink only 125 ml of wine in one go, are better able to moderate their eating habits too. That's about the only correlation I can think of :P

Please people, don't go drinking wine thinking it will help you lose weight. Alcohol has calories too!

microwoman999

Thank you for the interesting article

engineman312

everything in moderation, but i just can't pour myself one 5 ounce glass of wine. i have a lot going against me, considering i'm from spain and i make my own wine. so instead i have about two or three 10 ounce glasses of wine a week. i usually pair it up with what i'm eating, like pasta with a red sauce, or steak.

michelledusik

Woo Hoo - a justification for my alcohol intake! LOL- Just kidding. This was interesting, I have heard a lot of good things about red wine in moderation.

Sidesteal

It's possible that people who drink wine daily are also economically in a good position. This could have implications on weight.

juliesummers

Haha, then I'm set.

kateroot

Honestly, I don't count my calories from wine in my daily allotment. I drink a glass or two a day, anywhere from 300-500 calories, and my rate of weight loss doesn't change when I don't drink (I recently stopped drinking for a month to see if it would impact my weight loss). I'm willing to bet that if I switched from wine to soda, I'd gain weight or at least stop losing. That's just my personal experience, though. I've read research that suggests that calories from alcohol are digested differently than calories from fats, protein, and carbs, and that the body doesn't absorb alcohol calories efficiently.

AHolly86

I have heard of this! I read an article one time that stated, "A daily drink of alcohol in moderation can help curb a woman's craving for sweets." I don't know how true this is, but I say it's definitely worth a try in my book!