NON-ALCOHOLIC RED WINE MAY HELP REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE

A new report that "non-alcoholic red wine reduced blood pressure in men at high risk for heart disease better than standard red wine or gin, according to" a "study published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation Research."

CNN  reports that investigators "instructed 67 older men at risk for heart disease to consume the same beverage every day for one month at a time: red wine (about two glasses), non-alcoholic red wine, or gin (about two shots)." The researchers found that "the daily doses of alcoholic red wine and of gin - which doesn't contain polyphenols - had no discernible effect on blood pressure." However, "when the men drank the non-alcoholic red wine, their systolic and diastolic blood pressure fell by an average of 6 and 2 points, respectively, over the course of the month."

The nonalcoholic wine drinkers also showed increased levels of nitric oxide - a molecule in the blood that previous studies have linked with improving blood-vessel health and lowering blood pressure.

The results of the study were largely the same when excluding individuals with hypertension and those taking antihypertensives, the researchers reported.

Steven Almany M.D.