It may be the red in red wine and not the alcohol that is good for the circulation, researchers reported yesterday.
Non-alcoholic red wine is better than the alcoholic kind at reducing blood pressure, Spanish researchers said.
Red wine has been linked to a range of health benefits but researchers have struggled to distinguish the effects of alcohol and the rich plant compounds found in the drink.
The latest findings come from a small study of men with diabetes.
Writing in the journal Circulation Research, the doctors say that drinking non-alcoholic red wine reduced blood pressure enough to cut the risk of stroke by 20 per cent and heart disease by 14 per cent.
Alcoholic red wine and gin had very little effect on reducing blood pressure, they found.
Some 67 men took part in the research.
The researchers, led by Gemma Chiva-Blanch, of the University of Barcelona, write: "The alcohol in red wine weakens its ability to lower blood pressure. But polyphenols — still present after alcohol is removed from wine — are likely the beneficial element in wine."
Circulation Research September 6 2012
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