Does wine really prevent heart problems?

When people discover that I’m a liver doctor and a wine writer, they invariably ask, “How much can I drink without developing liver disease?” They never ask, “How much should I drink to stay healthy?”

People know that alcohol – and wine – can cause liver disease. But since the headline-making “60 Minutes” segment in 1991 popularizing the seductively simple French Paradox (the French eat a high-fat diet but have less heart disease because they drink red wine), people have embraced the concept that drinking wine, especially red wine, prevents heart disease. Despite the absence of an ironclad linkage, it’s what everyone wants to believe: Alcohol, a forbidden fruit, is actually good for you.

As a physician, I am skeptical of the health claims made for wine – or any single food, for that matter. Such medical skepticism hasn’t stopped some in the wine industry from promoting wine as a health drink. Wineries boast about the amount of resveratrol – a modern-day fountain of youth – in their wines. And yes, red wines are filled with antioxidants.

But how strong is the evidence that wine prevents heart disease? At this point, not strong enough.