Longevity and moderate wine consumption – can guidelines provide practical advice?
Abstract
Conflicting messages about the consumption of alcoholic beverages – including wine – continue to dominate the media, causing increasing uncertainty among consumers and health professionals. Public health policies are often shaped by the “no safe level” narrative, which promotes abstinence as the healthiest choice. As a result, national guidelines on alcohol consumption have progressively lowered the upper limits of what is considered acceptable intake. In the ongoing revision of the Dietary Guidelines of Americans (DGAs), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) conducted a comprehensive review of the scientific evidence published since 2010. They concluded that individuals who consume alcohol in moderation have lower all-cause mortality and a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease – the leading cause of death worldwide – compared to non-drinkers. In contrast, at the same time, the US Surgeon General released a report which supports the view that no level of alcohol is safe, citing an increased cancer risk starting with the first drink. This discrepancy between public health messages and scientific findings will be explored and discussed. Furthermore, the latest scientific evidence on the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases and the secrets of healthy aging, including moderate wine consumption, as presented during the 2nd International Lifestyle, Diet, Wine and Health Congress will be reviewed. We will also examine inconsistencies in the scientific literature, explore research methodologies that yield the most reliable evidence, and consider how to develop more pragmatic health advice for the general public.
DOI:
Publication date: September 22, 2025
Issue: 46th World Congress of Vine and Wine
Type: Oral
Authors
1 Wine Information Council (WIC) – Avenue des Arts, 43 – B-1040 Bruxelles, Belgium
2 Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, INSA-UB, University of Barcelona, – Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
3 Centro Diagnostico Italiano (CDI), via Saint Bon 20, 20147 Milan, Italy