Diabetes: a glass of red wine at dinner would be beneficial
Cheers! Apparently, that wouldn’t be saying so well! Drinking a glass of wine at dinner would be beneficial fordiabetes prevention.
This is demonstrated by a recent study conducted by Professor Iris Shai and researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. The results were published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine(1).
Conduct of the study
Specifically, the study was conducted on224 people with type 2 diabeteswho were treated with medication. Volunteers had to drink a glass (142 ml) of one of the suggested drinks at each dinner for 2 years. These drinks were water, red wine, or white wine. They also followed, during this same period, a Mediterranean diet (which is not restrictive in calories), all followed by a dietician.
Finally, the volunteers completed an additional questionnaire, and underwent several blood tests to identify certain biological markers, such as blood sugar, lipids, and certain liver markers.
The results
Thanks to this study, several things could be observed. First, people who chose to drink a glass of wine at every dinner (whether white or red) saw the quality of their sleep improved, compared to volunteers who consumed water.
People who consumed red wine were also found to have increased levels of HDL cholesterol (i.e. “the good cholesterol”) and better total cholesterol.
Last but not least, it has been found in people who have consumed wine, a significant decrease in the signs of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome describes a condition that is considered to foreshadow several serious diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and/or stroke, for example(2)
The researchers of the study therefore concluded that drinking a glass of wine, especially red wine, at every dinner, combined with a healthy, long-term diet, helped prevent the risk of metabolic syndrome.
What you need to know
The volunteers in this study were chosen because they were likely to developcardiovascular disease, had good cholesterol, and because they had type 2 diabetes, were not likely to drink too much.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.