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In 1998 several scientific reports (Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association 1998, 29: 2467-2472) have shown that the moderate consumption of wine, but not beer or spirits, is associated with a reduced risk of stroke. The protective effects of wine could be linked to compounds other than alcohol (learn more about these compounds).Thus, in spite of the high level of these risk factors, the French (more particularly the men) display the lowest mortality rate from ischaemic heart disease and cardiovascular diseases in Western industrialized nations (36 % lower than the USA and 39 % lower than the UK) (Novartis Found Symp 1998, 216: 208-217).
Previous studies had suggested that moderate wine consumption (a glass a day, for example) may provide cardiovascular benefit. And this is demonstrated by what one calls the 'french paradox" - "a low incidence of cardiovascular disease in the French population (mainly wine drinking ) despite an unfavorable exposure to known cardiovascular factors (such as intake of saturated fat, serum cholesterol concentration, diabetes, hypertension and smoking)".
Whereas (Lancet 1992, 339: 1523-1526) in most countries, an important intake of saturated fat is positively linked to a high mortality from coronary heart disease, the situation in France is paradoxical because there is a high intake of saturated fat but a low mortality from coronary heart disease.
A high intake of saturated fat is associated with an increase of serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (Ugeskr Laeger 1997, 159: 4110-4116) and the peroxidation step of lipid transformation is considered to be essential in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (Atherosclerosis 1998, 137: S25-31).
In a study (Lancet 1994, 344: 1719-1723) it has been shown that France has the highest wine intake and the highest total alcohol intake, and one of the lowest mortality rate from coronary heart disease.
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