Resveratrol comes of age

Roger M PinderInternational Journal of Wine Research, York, UKThere is substantial evidence that moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with a lower risk of mortality,1,2 cardiovascular disease,3 stroke,4 type 2 diabetes,5,6 and cognitive decline and dementia in old age.7–9 It is still not proven whether wine consumption is associated with lower risks than consumption of other forms of alcohol such as beer or distilled spirits, but systematic reviews suggest that this may be the case at least for cognitive decline and dementia.7,10 However, a causal relationship has been questioned by some, with suggestions that health status and social factors may confer the benefits,11,12 especially for wine drinkers who are more often female, better educated, health conscious, non-smokers and temperate drinkers.13 Nevertheless, plausible biological mechanisms explain the benefits of alcohol and wine, and the relative specificity of the inverse relationship of moderate drinking to various human ailments is a strong point for causality.10