Why experts are now promoting regular WINE consumption for ‘longevity’ – as doctors share their take on the controversial ‘research’

A leading longevity researcher has sparked debate over whether regularly drinking red wine could contribute to a longer life – but doctors argue that supporting evidence the health benefits is largely circumstantial.

Dan Buettner has spent decades studying the lifestyle habits of residents in regions known as the ‘Blue Zones’ where communities consistently enjoy remarkable longevity. 

He recently opened up a discussion about how citizens in Blue Zones commonly drink a glass of wine every day. 

Re-posting a video on the topic from fellow longevity researcher Stephen Moore, Dan shared his own caption, which read: ’87 per cent of 90-year-olds in the Mediterranean Blue Zones report drinking wine daily.’

‘Could they live longer if they didn’t drink at all? Maybe. But what is indisputable is that wine has been part of their diet and culture for millennia, and it’s just as likely that if we took wine away from them, they would live shorter lives.’

The video also dove into the controversial nature of wine consumption and the debate over ‘moderation’ vs ‘science’.

‘Science says this is poison. But the Blue Zones call it medicine. So who’s right?’ Stephen asked in the clip. 

‘Science can measure the molecules in wine and label it toxic. But science can’t explain why people who drink it every day live longer, stronger, healthier and happier than those who don’t.’

As a result, Stephen suggested the answer may lie ‘outside of the glass’.

‘In the Blue Zones, they drink wine daily, but they also move, they laugh, they eat real food, they connect, they stay busy celebrating their own lives – not scrolling through someone else’s,’ he said.

‘Their lifestyles, believe me, are in check. And the wine simply enhances the experience.’

‘But if your lifestyle habits are in chaos, then maybe that same glass does become toxic.’

While both experts raise the possibility of a link between moderate wine consumption and longevity, Australian GP Dr Hester Wilson cautions that the supposed health benefits of wine rely mostly on ‘arbitrary’ evidence.

Speaking about the regular consumption of wine by people in ‘Blue Zone’ communities, Dr Wilson notes that ‘there are so many confounders that could contribute to their long-term health’.

Interestingly, however, Dr Wilson points out that her medical perspective aligns closer to Dan and Stephen’s main conclusion than many may expect.

‘Basically, what they’re really saying is it’s actually not about the wine, it’s about the rest of your life,’ she said. 

‘To my mind, it’s all about a healthy lifestyle: exercise, managing stress, getting enough sleep, eating good food, having a social life,’ she said. 

‘For some people, having that glass of wine is part of that quality of life because they’re already doing all the other good things.’

The Chair of the RACGP’s specific interest group in addiction says that searching for a link between wine and health has a storied history, with one of the earliest population-based studies on the topic dating back a century ago.

That early research observed a ‘J curve’ finding, where people who didn’t drink had a high cardiovascular risk, heavy drinkers also had an elevated risk, but moderate drinkers fell in the middle with lower cardiovascular risk.

However, Dr Wilson addresses the study’s many caveats. 

‘That’s not real evidence – it’s just a population observation,’ she said. ‘The reality is that, probably back then, the group of non-drinkers included people who weren’t drinking because they already had health issues, so it was an arbitrary finding.’

Dr Wilson acknowledges that red wine in particular has been loudly touted for its health benefits, mainly due to its polyphenol content.

But she points out that polyphenols are also readily found in other food sources like red coloured fruits and vegetables – not just wine. 

Furthermore, she says you’d likely need to drink an unhealthy amount of wine in order to obtain meaningful polyphenol intake, with those risks outweighing the benefits.

So where does that leave wine in relation to health? Despite a few potential benefits, the medical consensus remains: ‘Alcohol is harmful.’

‘Alcohol is a class one carcinogen, along with things like asbestos and cyanide,’ Dr Wilson emphasises.

That’s why guidelines for safe drinking are ‘less than 10 standard drinks a week, and no more than four on any one occasion’.

‘And still, even at those low levels, it increases your risks,’ Dr Wilson said.

Short-term, any amount of drinking poses health risks associated with drink driving, alcohol-related accidents and hangovers. But even more concerning are the long-term effects.

‘For us in general practice, we worry about people drinking daily and in large amounts, because that is incredibly harmful,’ Dr Wilson said. 

‘Alcohol in the long term is going to harm your brain, your heart, your liver, and increase your risk of cancer. That cancer risk goes up the more you drink,’ she said.

Dr Wilson advises anyone trying to fall pregnant, who is pregnant or breastfeeding, to avoid alcohol entirely due to its risks to the developing baby.

She also recommends young people avoid drinking until age 25 – well above the legal limit of 18 years old – based on evidence that alcohol can damage the developing brain, which isn’t fully formed until the mid-20s.

And she urges everyone – no matter your age – to consider the circumstances in which you drink.

‘This is a legal substance, and an occasional glass of wine as part of a social occasion, a meal, alongside good food, exercise and mental health, is probably okay.’

‘But make it occasional and make sure it’s part of celebration, part of your social life,’ she adds.

Dr Wilson also advocates for self-awareness and reflection on your drinking habits – stressing that it’s crucial to speak up if you’re worried you are drinking to excess.

‘For most people, alcohol is an occasional beverage,’ she said. ‘But if you’re noticing you feel more depressed when drinking, or it’s starting to take over your life, or you’re reaching for it to manage stress, or beginning to think, “Geez, I can’t do without this”, that’s the point to seek help. Seek it early.’

‘From my point of view, there are people in our community who suffer, who don’t seek help because they feel shame, or don’t know where to go, or think they should manage it themselves.

‘But the earlier you seek help, the quicker recovery can happen. And your GP is a great place to start.’