Man has been consuming wine for over 10,000 years and using it as a medicine for over 5,000 years. It is man’s oldest medicine. Hippocrates, the most famous of the ancient physicians had this to say about wine: “Wine is fit for man in a wonderful way provided that it is taken with good sense by the sick as well as the healthy.”

Vascular diseases such as heart attack or stroke are the biggest killers in our society today and accounts for nearly half of all deaths each year. It has been shown in epidemiological studies, that consuming wine in moderation can reduce the death rate by up to 50%, mainly by significantly reducing the rate of vascular disease. So how does wine do this?

Before discussing the benefits of drinking wine, we should define moderation and also discuss those who should not consume wine. Moderation is a maximum of four standard drinks per day for a male and two for a female, where a standard drink contains 10g alcohol (ie, 120-150ml of wine, depending on the percentage of alcohol contained in the wine). Women get half the amount of men because they have only half the amount of alcohol dehyrogenase, the enzyme that metabolises or breaks down alcohol.

People should avoid drinking alcohol if they react badly to it or have any significant stomach disease such as gastritis or ulcers; liver disease such as hepatitis or cirrhosis; heart disease such as myocarditis or encephalopathy. If in doubt, always check with your doctor.

Blood vessels become blocked, leading to heart attacks and strokes, when too much fat in the form of low-density lipoprotein or ‘bad cholesterol’ is deposited within the blood vessel wall. Eventually, this fat called atheromatous plaque, swells up and forms an obstruction to blood flow. By altering blood flows, this fatty plaque can also cause the blood to clot.

Or, the fat can swell up to the point where it bursts through the internal lining of the artery wall, causing a clot to form to breach the tear in the wall of the artery. However it occurs, when a blood vessel becomes blocked, it causes death to the tissue the blood vessel supplies, resulting in a heart attack or stroke. Latest research has also shown other vascular disease benefits from moderate wine consumption. The rate of deep vein thrombosis, or clotting in the leg, can reduce by up to 50%. It can reduce osteoporosis and dementia; and the rate of macular degeneration, an incurable form of blindness, can be reduced by up to 20%.

The health benefits of moderate wine consumption have been recognised by the British government. They have raised recommended safe drinking levels. The United States government has altered its dietary recommendations to recognise the vascular health benefits from moderate wine consumption.

In summary, wine in moderation helps prevent blocking of blood vessels by reducing atheromatous plaque formation and clotting. It can contribute to significant, up to 50%, reductions in vascular disease and deaths from all causes.

Remember, wine is to be enjoyed with food and not taken too seriously. People feel that only red wine has health benefits whereas the truth is that it does not really matter whether it is red or white wine - they both work. What does matter is that the correct wine in married to the food. It should be part of a healthy lifestyle and the ultimate health drink - the thinking person’s health drink.

What I am preaching is preventive medicine (with wine) that tries to give people the maximum quality and quantity of life; in other words I will try to help you die young as late as possible. “Happiness is the sole pursuit of the winemaker.”

Dr Phillip Norrie is a physician in Sydney Australia and a wine and medical historian.
He owns Pendarves Estates Winery in the Hunter Valley..