Data show that cardiovascular disease (CVD) ruthlessly takes the lives of 17.9 million people around the world every year, accounting for 32% of the total death toll, causing countless families to be broken up and social medical resources to be stretched. However, in the face of this serious health challenge, scientists have never stopped exploring and are committed to exploring preventive strategies from the subtleties of daily life.
Wine: health messenger or source of controversy?
Among many dietary patterns, the “Mediterranean diet” is highly regarded because it emphasizes the intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish, combined with olive oil. In addition, another high-profile ingredient in the Mediterranean diet is “wine”.
There is ongoing debate in the academic community about the true impact of wine on cardiovascular health. One side believes that drinking wine in moderation is like building a protective barrier for the cardiovascular system, which can effectively reduce the risk of disease; while the other side insists that “not drinking alcohol” is the way to stay healthy, emphasizing that the potential harm of alcohol should not be underestimated.
To solve this problem, researchers discovered a new “secret detective” – tartaric acid.
PREDIMED study: Uncovering the complex relationship between wine and CVD
Tartaric acid, this slightly unfamiliar-sounding chemical term, is actually a unique component of grapes and their products, and is almost non-existent in other foods.
A groundbreaking discovery by a research team reveals a strong link between urinary tartaric acid concentrations and real-life wine intake over a short period of time. This means that in the absence of large consumption of grapes or grape juice, tartaric acid concentration in urine can be used as a reliable biomarker to directly reflect an individual’s wine consumption.
In a prospective case-cohort study from PREDIMED, scientists focused on 1,232 older adults at high CVD risk with an average age of 68 years living in the Mediterranean region.
Their cardiovascular health was recorded in detail over time, including key events such as cardiovascular-related deaths and non-fatal strokes. The researchers divided the participants into five groups based on tartaric acid concentrations in their urine to provide an in-depth analysis of the subtle relationship between wine intake and CVD risk.
The results showed that the tartaric acid concentration in urine was significantly positively correlated with wine intake. This finding laid a solid foundation for subsequent in-depth analysis. Even more striking is the strong association between urinary tartaric acid concentrations and the incidence of CVD events. Specifically, participants with tartaric acid concentrations between 3 and 12 micrograms per milliliter (equivalent to about 3 to 12 glasses of wine per month) had a 38% reduction in CVD risk compared with those with tartaric acid concentrations below 1 microgram per milliliter. When tartaric acid concentrations reached 12 to 35 micrograms per milliliter (half a cup to one cup per day), CVD risk was significantly reduced by 50%. However, this protective effect was not further demonstrated when the tartaric acid concentration exceeded 35 micrograms/ml (more than 1.25 cups per day), suggesting that excessive drinking may weaken or even reverse this health benefit.
Interestingly, the study also found that this “tartaric acid effect” is particularly prominent among men. Among men who drank light and moderate alcohol, the reductions in CVD risk were as high as 59% and 69%, respectively, while among women, although light drinking also showed a trend toward lower CVD risk, it did not reach statistical significance. This gender difference may be related to the higher incidence of CVD events in men and also suggests that we need to consider gender specificity when developing health guidelines.
Taken together, moderate wine consumption does appear to confer some cardiovascular health benefits, especially when wine intake is measured by the biomarker tartaric acid concentration in urine. However, that doesn’t mean we can drink without restraint. The double-edged sword characteristic of alcohol requires that while enjoying delicious food, we must strictly control our intake to avoid the potential harm caused by excessive drinking. Although wine is a bright spot in the Mediterranean diet, the real way to health lies in the comprehensive development of a balanced diet, moderate exercise and good living habits.
