Colorado State University Researchers Find No Link Between Moderate Red Wine Consumption And Weight Gain
Monday, March 31, 1997
FORT COLLINS--Calories from red wine do not appear to contribute to
increased body
weight, according to a recent study by two Colorado State University
researchers.
The short-term study--led by professors Loren Cordain and Christopher
Melby--supports the
bulk of epidemiological and clinical research that indicates moderate
consumption of red wine does
not influence body weight. A possible reason may be that calories from
alcohol may be metabolized
differently than other food calories.
The findings, scheduled to appear March 31 in the "Journal of the
American College of
Nutrition," also show that moderate red wine consumption does not affect
levels of glucose and insulin
in the blood, which often increase with weight gain. Moderate levels of
alcohol consumption in the
study refers to less than 5 percent of an individual's total daily calories.
"Because alcohol has a high-energy density similar to fat, it is
commonly assumed that alcohol
consumption increases the risk for weight gain," said Cordain, a professor in
the university's
department of exercise and sport science and the study's lead author. "Based
on our study and other
studies, it seems no support can be given to recommending that alcohol
consumption be reduced in
order to maintain or reduce body weight."
Over a 12-week period, 14 healthy males drank two glasses of red wine
with dinner daily for
six weeks and abstained from drinking alcohol for six weeks, or vice versa.
Halfway into the study
and at the conclusion, the researchers measured participants' body weight,
percentage of body fat, skin
fold thickness, and resting metabolic rate as well as glucose and insulin
levels in the blood. No
changes were found in any of the participants whether they drank red wine or
abstained.
Although performed over a short time period with limited control over
participants' diet,
Cordain said the Colorado State study is consistent with a number of other
similar studies performed
by noted scientists, as well as a review of the topic by leading scientists
at the National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Despite mounting scientific evidence that suggests no link between
weight gain and alcohol, a
recent study performed by a team of Canadian scientists reached the opposite
conclusion. The
Canadian team argued that regular, moderate consumption of alcohol promotes
fat storage and
therefore triggers the development of obesity. But Cordain points out the
study did not measure the
effect of alcohol on body weight over time.
"The differing conclusions in the scientific community is an important
reason why research
needs to continue in this area," Cordain said. "Additional studies are needed
to more precisely measure
alcohol's influence on converting calories to energy."
Although the findings support the consensus that moderate amounts of
alcohol can be part of a
healthy diet, the researchers offer words of caution: "This study in no way
should encourage non-
drinkers to begin consuming alcohol," said Melby, a professor in Colorado
State's department of food
science and human nutrition. "Our research followed subjects over a short
period of time, but we don't
know what would happen in a long-term study."
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