Good news for diabetics: Red wine with dinner could HELP keep condition under control

A glass of red wine a day could help keep diabetes under control

DRINKING red wine with dinner may improve the heart health of people with Type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.

 

It found moderate consumption of wine to healthier blood fat profiles among patients – including a greater amount of "good" cholesterol compared with "bad".

Some individuals whose bodies broke down alcohol slowly also achieved better blood sugar control.

The same benefits were not seen with white wine, suggesting the plant compound ingredients in red wine were important, according to Professor Iris Shai.

She added: "The differences found between red and white wine were opposed to our original hypothesis that the beneficial effects of wine are mediated predominantly by the alcohol."

 

The new study involved 224 diabetes patients

The study involved 224 diabetes patients aged 45 to 75 who generally abstained from alcohol.

They were randomly assigned 150 millilitres of mineral water, white wine or red wine to drink with their evening meal over a period of two years.

The findings, from the Ben-Gurion University in Israel, are reported in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

 

But Dr Alasdair Rankin, director of research at charity Diabetes UK, suggested the evidence is "extremely weak".

He said: "A lot of us already drink more alcohol than is good for us, so most people with Type 2 diabetes should in fact be actively trying to reduce their alcohol intake, not increase it.

"Currently, the best way to manage type two diabetes is by taking prescribed medications and maintaining a healthy weight through regular physical activity and a healthy balanced diet that is low in saturated fat, sugar and salt."