London - A new study has confirmed that red wine is the superior choice over spirits for heart health - although non-alcoholic wine is nearly as beneficial.
Researchers from the universities of Barcelona and Valencia compared the effects of red wine, gin and alcohol-free red wine on the cholesterol and blood sugar of 67 men at high risk of cardio- vascular disease.
The men drank 30g of alcohol a day - roughly a large glass of wine or two large gin and tonics - trying each drink for four weeks at a time.
Their ability to metabolise sugar improved after both types of wine, but not with the gin.
Their levels of lipoprotein-a - a compound associated with a greater risk of heart attack - dropped with red wine only.
The team suggests that polyphenols, or antioxidants, in red wine are responsible, while alcohol may boost their effectiveness. - Daily Mail