Could a nightly glass of wine do more than just calm your nerves after a long, stressful day? According to research that was recently presented at the American Heart Association’sEpidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Conference 2022, having a glass of wine with dinner may be associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Specifically, the consumption of alcohol with meals was associated with a 14% lower risk of Type 2 diabetes in a study of about 312,400 adults without diabetes, according to the results of the presentation, which was titled “Moderate Alcohol Drinking with Meals is Related to Lower Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes.” But before you crack open that bottle of cabernet that you’ve been saving for a special occasion, especially if your “special occasion” is just Tuesday night, consider this: The research was just considered preliminary and still needs to be peer-reviewed and published. And, at this point, it should not impact anyone’s decisions about their alcohol consumption, according to Dr. Robert H. Eckel, MD, past president of the American Heart Association and professor emeritus at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “This kind of study asks more questions than it answers,” he says. If the results are validated by others, it will likely then raise additional questions, he explains. For example, everyone will want to know the best type of wine to drink to achieve the intended results, and they may have questions about the specific ingredients of the meal, the optimal timing of the meal and other factors that might play a role. Sherry Roberts, RDN, CDCES, had a mixed reaction to the preliminary news, too. “It is positive in that the wine may help reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes, but it is negative in that people may start drinking wine when they don’t necessarily need to in order to reduce their risk for diabetes,” says Roberts, a registered dietitian and diabetes educator with CRM Counseling, Life Coaching and Wellness in Texas. “While the study indicates that it is necessary for the wine to be consumed with meals and in moderation, that message may get lost in translation to those that may not pay attention to the details of the study.” For example, consider her point about moderate alcohol consumption. The research suggests that a moderate amount of alcohol had a positive impact when consumed with a meal. That’s roughly the equivalent of two glasses or less for men and one glass or less for women. Now ask yourself if you understand what “one glass” of wine is. One glass of wine is about 5 ounces or about 150 mL of wine, Roberts points out. That might be less than you think it is.
Should you start drinking wine to reduce your risk of diabetes?
Experts typically emphasize that it’s never advisable to start drinking if you don’t already drink. “I would tell people that if you don’t drink, the study is not a reason for you to start drinking,” says Dr. Joanna Mitri, MD, MS, medical director for the Care Advisory and Affiliate Programs at the Division of Global Education and Care Advisory of Joslin Diabetes Center and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Eckel also noted that the American Heart Association does not endorse alcohol consumption. Rather than relying on a glass of wine to possibly help you reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, you may be better off focusing on other aspects of your health, including your diet and physical activity. That’s especially good advice if you’re one of the 96 million people in the United States with prediabetes, a condition that occurs when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not quite high enough to tip you over into having type 2 diabetes. “There are many other things that they can do that have been shown to have benefits and are safer,” says Dr. Mitri. For example, the CDC recommends that people with prediabetes make some specific lifestyle changes to improve their overall health and lower their risk. And that’s good advice for others who want to lower their risk. “The best way to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes is to lose 5-10% of your bodyweight if you are overweight, participate in 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise per week, and consume a well-balanced diet.A well-balanced diet includes whole grains, fruits and non-starchy vegetables, lean sources of protein, and low-fat dairy products,” says Roberts. Next up: How You Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes, According to Experts
Sources:
American Heart Association: Moderate Alcohol Drinking with Meals is Related to Lower Incidence of Type 2 DiabetesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention: Prediabetes – Your Chance to Prevent Type 2 DiabetesRobert H. Eckel, MDJoanna Mitri, MD, MSNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: What is a Standard Drink?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Preventing Type 2 DiabetesSherry Roberts, RDN, CDCES
