Debunking the myth: Is a glass of red wine a day really good for your health?

It’s summer (sort of...) and that means sporting tournaments galore. There seems to be a symbiotic relationship between booze and sport – admit it or not, I bet that when it comes to observing (rather than participating) it’s one of the first things you think of.

Wimbledon wouldn’t be Wimbledon without Pimms. And it wouldn’t be the Euros if the pages of the tabloids weren’t filled with pictures of English fans drinking lager. But can you enjoy alcohol and still be considered “sporty”?

I reached the peak of my sporting career when British athletics legend Fatima Whitbread awarded me a gold medal for (drum roll), the potato sack race. I was the champion in my chosen field in a local inter-primary school competition – the technique is all in the foot positioning, if you were wondering. I celebrated with a Wagon Wheel and a glass of overly diluted orange squash. Skip, hop and jump forward a few years and I still really enjoy exercising, but I also love drinking wine.

After being on maternity leave, I resumed a more regular fitness regime – and noticed something interesting: I started drinking a lot less. What was going on?

Don’t get me wrong, I adore wine, it’s my passion and career, but it doesn’t actually mean I drink that much of it – and especially so when I’m exercising. We’re bombarded with the message that alcohol is unsafe, but I’m fascinated by the large number of studies that actually offer advice to the contrary, and most specifically about one alcoholic drink: red wine.

That brought me to wanting to debunk the longstanding myth: is a glass of red wine a day really good for your health?

We’ve long been aware of the “French paradox” – this is that French people have historically had a low incidence of cardiovascular disease despite having a diet high in saturated fat. In a staggering study involving over 129,000 adults undertaken by Kazuo Yamagata (et al), there was a decreased risk of mortality from cardiovascular diseases in wine consumers compared to other alcohol drinkers. They were specifically looking at the preventive effects of polyphenols which are plant-based compounds that boost heart health and immunity. They’re found in many foods, such as fresh dark fruit, tea, coffee, dark chocolate, nuts and, importantly for my quest: red wine.

Wine polyphenols, especially resveratrol, anthocyanins and catechins are the most effective wine antioxidants. But why only red wine and not white?

The key is that all the goodness lies in the skins and pips of the grapes – when you make a white wine, you press the grapes and take the juice away from the skin pulp straight away. The opposite happens in a red (or indeed an orange wine) where the juice is left to ferment with the delicious skinsy-pulp. The result? An army of antioxidants enters our body when we enjoy a moderate amount with food.

Which brings me to my second interest this summer: sports. The Euros... Wimbledon... a time when observers of these high-adrenaline activities often quaff a Pimms or a couple of beers. But what about the players? Are they abiding by this mantra of red wine being good for you, even at elite level?

In fact, you only have to look at the two of the world’s top tennis players to know that sport and wine can work together. If you were to ask Serena Williams what her favourite drink is, the answer would be fine Italian wines, especially barolo. She’s in good company: fellow world champion Roger Federer famously has a love of brunello di montalcino.

Of course, both have the pockets to afford such luxury wines every day if they wish. But the good news is that you don’t need to extend to the most expensive reds to reap the benefits, as all red wines contain the magical properties of resveratrol – as does orange wine too to a lesser extent, as it’s made in the same method as a red wine.

I’m not an extreme person and life has to be about balance. I gain a lot of pleasure from wine and exercise, and believe the two can play together nicely – I just make sure I enjoy it with delicious food and in moderation. Perhaps England fans should switch up a can of lager for a nice glass of spätburgunder (pinot noir) instead...

Rosamund Hall (DipWSET) is a freelance writer and wine expert