Wine drunk in moderation, in the Mediterranean Diet, is not bad for you, and helps you live better

Wine consumed in moderation, during meals, as the Mediterranean Diet dictates, as part of a healthy lifestyle, is certainly not bad for you; on the contrary, dozens and dozens of scientific studies undoubtedly affirm that it can be beneficial for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, but also for the functioning of the gut, which also affects the brain, and not only that. Because while it is true that wine is also alcohol, and that ethanol is to all intents and purposes a carcinogen, and no one denies that, it is equally true that the difference is the amount, the concentration, and the fact that there are so many other nutritional substances in wine that not only counteract the potential risks of ethanol, of alcohol, but that are functional for well-being, such as resveratrol and beyond, and also for “social” well-being, a much broader concept than “simply” clinical well-being, is something to think about and to affirm strongly. Just as forcefully must be fought every abuse, every immoderate consumption, and also those who, not observing things in their complexity, but only in some detail, want to write on bottle labels that “wine causes cancer.” An oft-repeated message, and one that today, with the wine sector (and spirits in general) already struggling in the markets, and for the past few years under pressure from pushes towards “no safe lavel”, “zero consumption”, we want to reiterate to protect not only science, but also a sector that is culture, history, agriculture, garrison of territories and much more. Theme at the center of the “Lifestyle, Diet, Wine & Health Congress” 2025, to be staged tomorrow and March 28 in Rome, signed by the Wine Information Council, Irvas (Institute for Wine and Health Research) and Wine in Moderation (WiM), and presented, today, at Palazzo Grazioli, in the Foreign Press headquarters, in a talk led by journalist and wine producer Bruno Vespa, with the organizations’ top executives, such as, among others, Attilio Giacosa (Irvas) and Sandro Sartor (Wine in Moderation). “Avalanches of documents say that wine is not only not bad for you, but also good for you in certain cases. Sensitivity on the subject, however, has changed, we see this constantly”, Vespa said, introducing the proceedings. But just as being well is the result of a combination of several factors, so diseases, except in very rare and mostly viral cases, are caused by several elements, not just one.
“The relationship between lifestyle, physical activity, nutrition, sleep: everything has to do with health care”, explained Irvas President Attilio Giacosa, ”and when we talk about health we are talking about chronic degenerative diseases that worsen the quality of life. The overall lifestyle weighs more than 40% in the risk and prevention of cancer diseases, even more if we talk about cardiovascular ones. And this is also why we will focus on the Mediterranean Diet, which for decades has been recognized as the best in the world, including in reducing the risk of developing diseases and cancers. And in this framework, the role of wine is supported by incontrovertible data. It is true, wine”, Giacosa points out, “also has ethanol, which is carcinogenic in certain concentrations, but there are many other substances that counteract this potential risk. There is no escaping the evidence of the so-called “J-curve”, which says that those who consume moderate amounts of wine, in the Mediterranean model, at meals, that is, the classic 2 glasses a day for men, and 1 for women, are better off than teetotalers. There is scientific and rigorous evidence that says so, and the relationship between oncology and wine is also changing. But we need to reiterate that. And because many people say we only have data from observational studies, and not intervention studies, a new study is starting right now, in Spain, on thousands of patients, divided between those who will drink wine and those who will not, who will be observed for years, to reiterate once again what we already know”. When it comes to health, moreover, the real issue is that “oxidative stress and chronic low-grade inflammation are at the root of many of the most widespread diseases”, recalled Giuseppe Poli, honorary professor of General Pathology at the University of Turin, “such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. For this reason, a healthy lifestyle cannot disregard some basic pillars: balanced diet, of which moderate consumption of wine with meals can safely be part, regular physical activity, quality of sleep and, in some cases, moderate calorie restriction. These factors, when combined synergistically, help modulate inflammatory processes and slow cellular aging, promoting healthy longevity. It is therefore essential to promote greater awareness of the crucial role of daily choices in prevention, through correct information and concrete tools that help people adopt sustainable behaviors over time”.
In short, the concept seems clear, yet, as a man of communication, Bruno Vespa himself recalled how “the debate has split into those who say wine is good for you and those who say wine is bad for you, beyond the quantity, and that is why we need concise and clear messages to convey to the public”. Which is also one of the goals of the congress, as explained to Wine in Moderation president Sandro Sartor: “Our goal is to promote moderate consumption and education, so we always ask the question whether moderate consumption is bad for you or not. That’s why inside Wine in Moderation is the Wine Information Council, and that’s why we turn to science. We are neither deniers nor plotters, we want science, in a non-instrumental way, to tell us how things are. For example, that alcohol abuse is bad for you, we say it first. That is why it is important to promote balanced, evidence-based information that takes research into account and values the principle of moderation. The “Lifestyle, Diet, Wine & Health Congress” is a valuable opportunity to explore these issues with transparency and rigor, contributing to greater individual awareness”.
Yet whatever the opinion, everyone is appealing to science to support it. A spiral from which it seems difficult to get out. “But it can be done with “true” knowledge”, Giacosa explained to WineNews, “today science on this chapter is bringing really significant information, and the congress we are organizing wants to take stock of precisely this, and especially of the inclusion of two concepts. The first is that wine contains alcohol, but it is not an alcoholic beverage comparable to all the other liquids that contain alcohol and are sold in the world, because wine is a food that is born from a fruit, which is squeezed and fermented, and contains in its final path all that series of components that are part of the original fruit, extremely positive components. Of course there is alcohol, and alcohol is a carcinogen, however, the crucial point is that there is now evidence to show that there are substances in wine that can counteract the negative aspects of alcohol as such, and provide a whole range of benefits. The second is that wine”, Giacosa reiterated, “is a food that enters fully within the Mediterranean model, the Mediterranean Diet sees wine as an important component, as are fruits, vegetables, a good amount of fish, little meat, especially red meat. That is to say, wine is a food that has extremely important health contents”.
The importance of nutrition, as a whole, in the prevention of disease, therefore, will be the focus of discussion at the “Lifestyle, Diet, Wine & Health Congress” 2025, with a special emphasis on the effects of diet on longevity and metabolic health. “For decades, research has shown that the Mediterranean Diet is the most effective model for the prevention of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties”, says Professor Ramon Estruch of the Department of Internal Medicine at Hospital Clínic Barcelona. “However”, he adds, “it is essential to continue studying its components and their impact on health, in order to provide increasingly precise recommendations based on solid data. Therefore, the congress will be an extraordinary opportunity to share the latest findings and promote an approach to nutrition based on science and not on food fads”.
In addition to exploring the impact of diet on health, the conference will address a crucial aspect of nutrition research: the reliability and methodology of scientific studies. The continuous evolution of research tools requires increasingly rigorous approaches to ensure robust and reproducible results. “A balanced approach to health is based on solid scientific evidence, clear communication and practical recommendations”, says Ursula Fradera, who leads the Wine Information Council, “and numerous studies show that the combination of a healthy diet, regular physical activity and moderate consumption of all foods, in the context of a healthy lifestyle, can contribute significantly to well-being and the prevention of chronic diseases. This is precisely why, in the first edition of the congress, held in Toledo in 2023, we launched the Lifestyle Matters Declaration, a document promoting a scientific, balanced and responsible approach to health and quality of life. This year’s edition is an important opportunity to continue on this path, offering professionals concrete tools to properly inform the public and encourage informed and sustainable choices”.
Notable among the scheduled talks (full list here) is one by Luc Djoussé, cardiovascular epidemiologist and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Cardiovascular disease (Cvd) remains a major cause of death and disability in many developed nations”, Djoussé explains, “despite major scientific breakthroughs and advances in biomedical research. While mortality from Cvd has declined from its peak in the late 1960s, the global burden of Cvd is still high, thus underscoring the need to identify cost-effective strategies that can prevent Cvd and serve as a complement to medical and surgical management of Cvd. Emerging data suggest that modifiable lifestyle factors, including healthy eating patterns, moderate alcohol consumption, nonsmoking, regular physical activity, adequate sleep, and maintaining a healthy weight, may favorably influence the risk of developing Cvd endpoints and risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension”.
But also interesting, among others, is the talk by Michael Klein, professor of clinical psychology, mental health and applied addiction research at the Catholic University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, on “How Mental Well-Being and Happiness Contribute to Longevity”. “The importance of mental well-being and happiness as factors in enhancing longevity is well established in psychological health research. Therefore, the role of well-being should be taken into account in lifestyle research and practice. Well-being is often associated with positive social situations, including moderate alcohol consumption. Of course, happiness and life satisfaction are possible without alcohol. But if alcohol in small doses is risk-free, as it seems to be, why should people give up alcohol? Demonizing moderate alcohol consumption, Klein explains in his abstract, could have more negative than positive consequences, as history already teaches. On the other hand, consuming alcohol in small doses can improve quality of life and well-being, particularly when combined with a Mediterranean Diet. However, strict alcohol prohibition increases reactivity and guilt in drinking situations. Both distract people from well-being and happiness. Consequently, moderate and reasonable alcohol consumption could improve overall mental well-being and thus contribute to effective mental health prevention.”
But these are just a few, among the many speakers such as Carlo La Vecchia (University of Milan), Laura Di Renzo (Tor Vergata University), Gabriele Gorelli (Master of Wine) and Marta Garo-Pascual (Inselspital, University of Bern), who will be protagonists on March 27, and, again, such as Iris Shai (Ben Gurion University, Harvard and Leipzig), Emilio Ros (Hospital Clínic de Barcelona) and Laura Catena (Catena Institute of Wine), who will speak, instead, on March 28. To reaffirm, scientifically, a concept that has been clear since the dawn of time: moderation is the north star to follow. In wine consumption, and not only.