Red wine loses its 'health halo' as experts say a glass a day does not decrease heart disease

Wine has come to embody a laid-back lifestyle. At some point, red wine started being billed as ‘good for’ you but our understanding of alcohol and health has evolved

“No amount of alcohol is protective against cardiovascular disease.”

In the 1980s, scientists in France coined the phrase ‘French Paradox’ to refer to the notion that drinking red wine might explain the relatively low rates of heart disease among their countrymen despite the national fondness for cheese, and other rich foods.

This theory helped propel the discovery of a host of beneficial plant compounds known as polyphenols in red and purple grape skins. The compounds theoretically explain wine’s heart-protecting properties. It was followed up by a larger body of evidence in the 1990s linking alcohol to good health.