According to a European study, moderate wine intake may be good for the heart as it is associated with higher level of omega-3 fatty acids that are considered protective against the coronary disease and sudden cardiac arrest.

Lead researcher Romina di Giuseppe, from the Research Laboratories at Catholic University of Campobasso, said, “Several studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption, including wine, is associated with protection against coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke. Although the mechanisms are not completely defined, there was some evidence that alcohol intake might influence the metabolism of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, as omega-3”.

IMMIDIET (Dietary Habit Profile in European Communities with Different Risk of Myocardial Infarctiondefine: the Impact of Migration as a Model of Gene-Environment Interaction) study examined 1,604 individuals aged 26-65 from England, Italy and Belgium. To evaluate their dietary intake, a one year recall food frequency questionnaire was used and researchers found that moderate alcohol intake acts like a 'trigger', boosting the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in our body.

“That is exactly what we found in our population study. People drinking moderate amounts of alcohol, one drink a day for women and two for men, had higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids in plasmadefine and red blood cells, independently of their fish intake,” said Giuseppe.

Findings will be published in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.