- A large Italian study found that moderate wine intake within a traditional Mediterranean pattern was linked to slightly slower biological ageing in men.
- The effect was small and was not seen clearly in women, while total alcohol intake showed a less favourable pattern overall.
- This was an observational study, so it does not prove wine slows ageing and it is not a reason to start drinking.
A large cohort study from Italy looked at whether wine drinking patterns were linked to biological ageing.
Researchers analysed data from more than 22,000 adults in the Moli-sani study.
Instead of looking only at chronological age, they estimated biological age using a machine learning model based on 36 blood biomarkers.
They then compared biological age with actual age to see whether some people appeared to be ageing faster or more slowly.
The main finding was that men who drank moderate amounts of wine in line with a traditional Mediterranean diet had slightly lower biological ageing scores than abstainers.
- High intake of white wine associated with increased risk of skin cancer – but not red wine
- Fruit, coffee, chocolate and wine may reduce risk of metabolic syndrome by 23%
The strongest association was seen at around 170 mL a day, which works out at roughly one to two small glasses.
The effect was modest.
At its peak, the difference was about a third of a year.
That is interesting, but it is hardly a dramatic anti-ageing result.
The study did not find the same clear pattern in women.
It also found that total alcohol intake from all sources did not show the same association as moderate wine intake.
That raises the possibility that any observed effect may be related to broader drinking patterns or to compounds in wine rather than alcohol itself.
- Ageing does not always mean decline
- Regular aerobic exercise may slow brain ageing in midlife
- Live to 100: 5 habits linked with healthier ageing
Even so, this needs careful handling.
People in the moderate drinking group also tended to be healthier in other ways, although the researchers adjusted for a range of lifestyle and health factors.
That means the findings are worth noting, but they do not prove cause and effect.
So the sensible reading is this.
The study adds to the literature around Mediterranean dietary patterns and healthy ageing, but it does not justify telling people to drink wine for their health.
