Study: Red Wine’s Antioxidants Not Source of Heart-Healthiness

Stockbyte/Thinkstock(ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands) -- It’s long been touted that a glass of red wine a day keeps the high blood pressure at bay. But according to a new Dutch study, the antioxidants called polyphenols found in red wine may not lower blood pressure at all.

HealthDay reports that among the study’s findings, the anti-hypertensive effects of polyphenols are not the source of red wine's cardiovascular system benefits.

The study surveyed 61 people averaging around 61 years of age, all of whom had borderline high blood pressure. Study participants consumed dairy beverages that contained either the red wine polyphenols or a harmless placebo over the course of four weeks.

The study concluded that there was no difference in blood pressure levels between the two groups.

"Red wine drinking may still be beneficial to prevent cardiovascular diseases. However, this apparently occurs in a blood pressure-independent manner," said study author Ilse Botden, a graduate student at University Medical Center in Rotterdam.

The findings, however, do not indicate that red wine in moderation isn’t heart-healthy.

The research suggests that while red wine does not decrease cardiac risks by lowering blood pressure, its anti-inflammatory properties instead are mainly responsible for lowering a drinker's cardiovascular risk, according to Dr. William O'Neill, a professor of cardiology and the executive dean for clinical affairs at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The study’s findings will be presented Friday at the American Heart Association's High Blood Pressure Research meeting in Orlando, Fla.

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