In fact, we found that drinking red wine is linked to lower levels of visceral fat. Here are some of the key takeaways from a new study that my colleagues and I recently published in the journal Obesity Science & Practice.

Although white wine consumption did not influence visceral fat levels, our study showed that drinking white wine in moderation may provide its own unique health benefit for older adults: denser bones.

We found higher bone mineral density in older people who drank white wine in moderation in our study. And we did not find this same link between the consumption of beer or red wine and bone mineral density.

Our study used a large-scale longitudinal database called UK Biobank. We assessed 1,869 white adults aged 40 to 79 who reported demographic, alcohol, diet, and lifestyle factors via a touchscreen questionnaire.

Next, we collected height, weight, and blood samples from each participant and obtained information about body composition using a direct measurement of body composition called dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Next, we used a statistical program to examine the relationships between types of alcoholic beverages and body composition.

why is it important

Aging is often accompanied by an increase in problematic fat which can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease as well as a reduction in bone mineral density. This has significant health implications given that nearly 75% of adults in the United States are considered overweight or obese.

Having higher levels of body fat has been consistently linked to an increased risk of many different diseases, including cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and a higher risk of death.

And it’s worth noting that the national medical care costs associated with treating obesity-related illnesses total more than $260.6 billion a year.

Given these trends, it’s vital for researchers like us to examine all potential contributors to weight gain to determine how to combat the problem.

Alcohol has long been considered a possible driving factor in the obesity epidemic. Yet the public often hears conflicting information about the potential risks and benefits of alcohol. Therefore, we hoped to help unravel some of these factors through our research.

What is not yet known

Many biological and environmental factors contribute to overweight or obesity. Alcohol consumption may be a factor, although there are other studies that have not found clear links between weight gain and alcohol consumption.

One of the reasons for the inconsistencies in the literature could stem from the fact that much previous research has traditionally treated alcohol as a single entity rather than separately measuring the effects of beer, cider, red wine, white wine, champagne and spirits. Yet even broken down in this way, the research produces mixed messages.

For example, one study suggested that drinking more beer contributed to a higher waist-to-hip ratio, while another study concluded that after one month of moderate beer consumption, healthy adults had no gained significant weight.

Accordingly, we sought to better tease out the unique risks and benefits associated with each type of alcohol. Our next steps will be to examine how diet – including alcohol consumption – might influence brain and cognitive diseases in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.