I thought about this post while reading the report published on Winenews of the conference that was held a few days ago in Orvieto entitled “At the table with science: human health also depends on the link with nature and its products”.
An appointment with an institutional flavor introduced by the president of Assoenologi Riccardo Cotarella, “On the stage doctors and specialists and oenologists and protagonists of the world of wine who highlighted the need to tell the importance of the link between human health and the products of nature and the territory, underlining the need for a correct and responsible relationship with wine that is not generally perceived as potentially dangerous from a health point of view “. A couple of passages that struck me:
- Therefore, we talked about diseases and addiction with Massimo Bracaccia, director of the Medical Area Ausl Umbria n. 2, specialist in Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, for which (…) “wine, with its polyphenols (flavonoids, in particular) lowers cardiovascular risks, has anti-inflammatory effects.”
- There are different motivations between moderate and addicted drinkers and Gelsomina Leone, pediatrician, explains how “in children, alcohol is synonymous with growing up. This equation must be eliminated through knowledge and education in the countryside and in the production of agricultural products, including wine.”
- Notions confirmed by the cardiologist and internist, former director of the Cardiology Hospital of Cortona Franco Cosmi: “many studies done over time have shown that 1 or 2 glasses of wine a day reduce overall mortality from diseases related to ischemic heart disease: wine does not increase or reduce overall mortality linked to ischemic heart disease (in what sense? nda).
It’s still:
- “To feel good, the numerical law 0-1-5-25-30 should be applied: 0 cigarettes, 1 glass of wine (i.e. 1 glass of wine is even recommended? nda), 5 portions of fruit, vegetables and legumes, 25 Bmi, 30 minutes of physical activity. Following these rules decreases senile dementia and diabetes and extends the life expectancy of 14 years. “
A round table that inevitably, also given the great media echo it has had in recent weeks, opened with some references to the recent alert from theWorld Health Organization relating to the dangers associated with the consumption of alcohol, and therefore also of wine. A document elaborated during a meeting in Tel Aviv, Israel, entitled “European framework for action on alcohol 2022-2025”(Here, opens PDF). A paper that contains some absolutely non-mandatory guidelines, they are only advice addressed to all governments, to encourage more conscious consumption in the population. Among these, the thing that caused the most stir in Italy and that led to several somewhat alarmed titles: the possibility of evaluating an indication of danger on the label.
Parenthesis: I was also struck, as a reaction to this document, by a declaration by the governor of Piedmont Alberto Cirio reported by Repubblica: “The World Tourism Organization intervenes to send a strong message in reiterating that wine is not alcohol, it is not danger: it is culture, food, territory”.
Who knows if one day it will be possible to pass this concept on in a different way: wine is certainly culture, food, territory BUT it is also an alcoholic beverage that can do great damage, you can go around it as much as you want but alcohol is carcinogenic, and it is by far (after water) the most present substance in a glass of wine. Combining these two messages is not contradictory, I think: live the wine but in moderation, a drink that if abused certainly hurts and that in small doses can improve our mood and consequently our quality of life. That’s all it is.
Topic also addressed by New York Times in a recent piece that explains why in terms of wholesomeness (not of environmental impact, not of production ethics, only of effects on the human body) natural wine is not necessarily better than the so-called conventional wine. A piece that ends like this, putting an end to any possible discussion on the absurd combination of wine and health:
“Regardless of how it’s made, wine – or any alcoholic beverage, for that matter – can cause significant harm. The handful of studies that have suggested that moderate wine consumption may have some benefits, such as improving heart health or lowering cholesterol, have been inconclusive at best. And the health risks – cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease and dementia, to name a few – are numerous and well documented. “