Wine is good for you? Why it's important to read beyond the headline

A bottle of wine a week for men or half a bottle for women is good for you? Let’s all say ‘cheers’ to that! However, as with most things, it’s worth reading beyond the headline to understand the details of the latest study on the disputed health effects of a regular glass of vino. Scientists have been going back and forth on this subject for years.

The new research found that – when combined with a heart-healthy Mediterranean diet of olive oil, vegetables, fruit, nuts and fish – people who drank a bottle of wine a week were less likely to suffer from heart disease.

Scientists have been debating the health benefits of wine for years (Picture: Justin Sullivan) | Getty Images

Importantly, however, what they found was a correlation, rather than a causative effect. So it’s possible that the moderate wine drinkers did something else that meant they were healthier than the others. The protective effects of drinking wine, if they do exist, also only appear to start from the age of 35 to 40.

As a nation with an alcohol problem, Scotland should probably be cautious, but the old saying of “all things in moderation” remains as good a guide as any.