Moderate wine consumption may help reduce depression

2014-09-10 11:23:11

An extremely large study that took place for over 7 years has come up with a new conclusion after further analysis (1). 5505 high-risk men and women aged 55 to 80 were followed in the PREDIMED Trial for up to seven years. Participants were initially free of depression or a history of depression and did not have any history of alcohol-related problems. A food frequency questionnaire was administered by a dietician and repeated annually to assess alcohol intake. Participants were classified as new cases of depression when they reported a new clinical diagnosis of depression or started using antidepressant drugs. The results showed that alcohol intake in the range of 5 to 15g/day was significantly associated with a lower risk of depression (by about 30%, compared to those who didn’t drink at all). Wine consumption in the range of two to seven drinks per week was significantly associated with a lower rate of depression (again, by about 30%). Heavy drinkers seem to be at higher risk, so too much of a good thing may be a bad idea. Moderation is important.