For years, people have been flooded with conflicting advice about the supposed health benefits of alcohol, and red wine in particular seemed to always get a pass. The debate has lingered in health circles for decades, with some studies suggesting modest benefits and others warning of serious risks. Now, a leading cardiovascular surgeon with over 25 years of experience has stepped forward to offer a definitive answer. Dr. Jeremy London has made his position on the matter crystal clear, and it may not be what wine lovers were hoping to hear.
Dr. London addressed the long-standing question head-on, stating that “alcohol falls into the category of substances that are toxic to every cell in the body,” and that limiting or eliminating it altogether is simply the sensible choice. When pressed specifically about red wine and the popular belief that it is beneficial for the heart, he did acknowledge there is some science behind the idea. Red wine, and more precisely the grapes it comes from, does contain polyphenols, which are antioxidants, and specifically resveratrol, a compound that has been shown to help dilate blood vessels. However, Dr. London was quick to point out the critical flaw in using this as justification for drinking.
“The amount of red wine you would have to consume to achieve a therapeutic level of resveratrol would be astronomical,” he explained. “And the risks associated with alcohol would far outweigh any benefit you’d get from the resveratrol.” His bottom line was straightforward: “If you enjoy red wine, drink red wine. But don’t drink it because you think it’s good for your heart.” It is a distinction that many people overlook when they reach for a glass with a clear conscience.
The British Heart Foundation aligns with this perspective. The organization acknowledges that red wine does contain antioxidants but notes that “other foods, including grapes, blueberries, and strawberries, provide antioxidants without the negative effects of alcohol.” A 2018 study they conducted, which examined the effects of alcohol consumption on heart and cardiovascular disease, concluded that the risks outweigh any potential benefits. In short, pouring a glass of wine as a form of heart protection is not a strategy backed by the evidence.
The concerns go beyond cardiovascular health as well. Vivek Murthy, the former U.S. Surgeon General, has warned that alcohol consumption is directly linked to at least seven types of cancer, including cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, breast, liver, and colon and rectum. Even moderate or light drinking can raise the risk of developing these cancers. Dr. Ernest Hawk of the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas put it plainly when speaking to the New York Times: “There is no safe level of alcohol consumption when it comes to cancer risk.”
On the other side of the argument, a 2023 review published in PubMed Central noted that several shorter studies found red wine consumption “generally results in improvement of antioxidant status, markers of thrombosis and inflammation, lipid profile, and gut microbiota.” The researchers themselves, however, cautioned that these studies were short-term and largely conducted on patients with type 2 diabetes, meaning longer-term research is still needed to confirm the benefits and assess the risks more thoroughly.
Resveratrol, the compound at the center of much of this debate, is a naturally occurring polyphenol found in the skin of red grapes, blueberries, raspberries, and peanuts. It was first identified as a potentially heart-protective substance in the 1990s and became a subject of significant scientific interest after researchers began studying the so-called “French paradox.” This phenomenon referred to the observation that people in France tended to have lower rates of cardiovascular disease despite diets rich in saturated fats, which some researchers attributed to regular red wine consumption. The paradox has since been questioned, with many scientists pointing to other lifestyle and dietary factors as more plausible explanations. Antioxidants, broadly speaking, are compounds that neutralize free radicals in the body, which are unstable molecules that can damage cells and contribute to aging and disease. Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants, has been linked to conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, and is often worsened by alcohol consumption, smoking, excessive stress, and poor diet.
If you have always wondered whether that nightly glass of red wine was doing your heart a favor, share what you think about this new perspective in the comments.
