Two red wine glasses per day to prevent fatting up

According to a research by the Boston Brigham and Women’s Hospital a moderate assumption of alcohol can help women to prevent a weight increase

by Marisa Giuliani

According to a study performed on 19,220 American women over 39, monitored for 13 years, a moderate use of alcohol can help to prevent a weight increase. The research was performed at the Boston Brigham and Women’s Hospital by Professor Lu Wang.

The analyzed women were characterized by a Body Mass Index (BMI) in a range considered as “normal”, i.e. between 18.5 and 25. After the population interviews, the participants resulted: 38.2% abstemious, the same percentage drunk less than 5 grams per day, 20% drunk between 5 and 15 grams per day, the 6% drunk between 15 and 30 grams per day, and the 3% drunk more than 30 grams per day.

After the 13 year survey, all the women put on some weight. All the same, the abstemious women toke more weight and the weight increase was decreasing according to the alcohol assumption, until a threshold of 40 grams per day. In particular, the women that used a moderate quantity of alcohol (between 15 and 30 grams per day) showed a 30% smaller fatting risk than the abstemious one.

As Lu Wang reported, “the inverse relationship between alcohol assumption and the risk to put on weight was proved for all the 4 kinds of drinks we tested (red wine, white wine, beer and spirits). All the same, the strongest relation was shown for the red wine, while the weakest, but still significant, hold for the white wine”.

However the authors warn that, given the potential health hazards associated with the alcohol assumption, the alcohol side-effects should be taken into account before any advice about its employment.