What decades of wine research can, and cannot, tell us about health

A new review revisits the J-shaped curve, wine polyphenols, cancer risk, and the modeling choices behind increasingly restrictive alcohol guidelines.

Review: Interpreting the Evidence on Wine Consumption and Health: A Narrative Review of the J-Shaped Association and Contemporary Alcohol Guidelines. Image Credit: Evgeny Karandaev / Shutterstock

In a recent review published in the journal Nutrients, researchers in Australia and Croatia synthesized evidence on wine consumption and health and examined how methodological approaches have influenced the interpretation of the J-shaped association and contemporary alcohol guidelines.

Could a glass of wine have different health implications depending on how much is consumed? Studies have reported a J-shaped association between wine intake and total mortality, with the lowest observed risk at light-to-moderate consumption.