Red or White — Your Choice of Wine Benefits Your Health in Different Ways, Study Reveals

Whether you’re a red wine lover or you prefer white, a new study says that the color of your wine actually gives you a different health boost. Additionally, researchers say that a glass of wine is healthier than a beer or a mixed drink. So, the next time you are enjoying a beverage with friends, share this bit of science to impress them.

According to a study from Iowa State University, drinking beer or spirits can lead to higher levels of visceral fat, which can increase the risk of heart disease and other health issues. These are the fats that build up underneath your skin and wrap around your internal organs. Visceral fat is more harmful to your overall health and it’s harder to get rid of when trying to lose weight. However, researchers found that drinking wine did not lead to the same buildup of visceral fat as it did with beer and spirits drinkers.

In fact, red wine was shown to reduce visceral fat because it reduces inflammation and the wine also elevated lipoproteins, which are the proteins considered to be good cholesterol. For white wine drinkers, there’s good news too. Researchers found a higher level of bone density in their white wine participants.

“We found higher bone mineral density among older adults who drank white wine in moderation in our study. And we did not find this same link between beer or red wine consumption and bone mineral density,” writes Brittany Larsen, co-author of the study.

For the study, researchers tested 1,869 participants between the ages of 40 and 80 years old. Researchers also noted that 59% of the participants were men, and say that breaking down this study into the types of alcohol can help people make better choices when they drink.

“Aging is often accompanied by an increase in the problematic fat that can lead to heightened cardiovascular disease risk as well as a reduction in bone mineral density. This has important health implications given that nearly 75% of adults in the U.S. are considered overweight or obese,” writes Larsen. “Much of the previous research has traditionally treated alcohol as a single entity rather than separately measuring the effects of beer, cider, red wine, white wine, Champagne and spirits.”

Researchers say that there are a variety of factors to consider when looking at the overall health and visceral fat for each person — like diet, exercise, and genetics. However, they hope this study will make people think about their drink of choice. The next step for the team of researchers is to look at how different types of alcohol consumption influence disease onset and cognitive impairment among older adults.

With this new info, pouring a glass of wine may be something you consider for your next happy hour.

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