At this point, we’ve basically memorized the benefits of drinking red wine: It can lower your risk of heart attack, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. Red wine: A drink to your heart. Saleem T, Basha S. Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research. 2010 Oct-Dec; 1(4): 171–176.
Red wine consumption improves insulin resistance but not endothelial function in type 2 diabetic patients. Napoli R, Cozzolino D, Guardasole V. Metabolism: clinical and experimental, 2005, May.;54(3):0026-0495.
Chronic treatment with red wine polyphenol compounds mediates neuroprotection in a rat model of ischemic cerebral stroke. Ritz MF, Ratajczak P, Curin Y. The Journal of nutrition, 2008, Mar.;138(3):1541-6100.”>
Red wine consumption improves insulin resistance but not endothelial function in type 2 diabetic patients. Napoli R, Cozzolino D, Guardasole V. Metabolism: clinical and experimental, 2005, May.;54(3):0026-0495.
Chronic treatment with red wine polyphenol compounds mediates neuroprotection in a rat model of ischemic cerebral stroke. Ritz MF, Ratajczak P, Curin Y. The Journal of nutrition, 2008, Mar.;138(3):1541-6100.
The major problem—as this story from Vox points out—is that many of these headline-grabbing studies are funded by the food industry, specifically the companies who make the food being studied. Marion Nestle, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at NYU, found that 90 percent of the industry-funded studies published in the last year show benefits for the food being researched. For example, a recent study that concluded eating walnuts reduced adults’ risk for diabetes was funded by the California Walnut Commission.Walnut ingestion in adults at risk for diabetes: effects on body composition, diet quality, and cardiac risk measures. Njike VY, Ayettey R, Petraro P. BMJ open diabetes research & care, 2015, Oct.;3(1):2052-4897.”>
To learn why this conflict of interest continues to exist, check out the full story on Vox by clicking below.