Wine consumers less at risk of visceral fat problem - study

Wine is a drink consumed by many people like when on dates and special occasions like weddings.

Romantic outings can be elevated to a better experience when food is accompanied with wine.

Wine experts say it takes a bit of snooping to learn exactly what an individual or couple like in their red or white wines.

Unless someone absolutely refuses to budge on their drink selection, there is generally enough room to charm a red drinker with white wine.

However, many people indulge in wine without knowing its health benefits other than for enjoyment purposes.

However, studies have linked wine to lower levels of visceral fat.

Visceral fats are 'hidden' fats that are stored deep inside the belly usually wrapped around the organs such as the liver and intestines.

The fat can cause a range of health issues. 

To confirm this, researchers from Iowa State University used patient data from the UK Biobank which monitored patients for about 10 years.

They examined data for 1,869 white Britons between the age 40 to 79.

Further, red wine was found not to be responsible for the traditional abdominal fat, often referred to as 'beer belly'.

Considerably, white wine drinkers are spared from the accumulation of fat that is seen with other types of alcohol according to the study.

White wine also increases bone density when drank moderately.

Red wine has also been linked to other health benefits, like reduced risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

The study suggests that beer and spirits consumers have high levels of unhealthy fats connected to heart disease but wine lovers seem to be protected against it. 

Those who mainly drink spirits had higher levels of both visceral and subcutaneous fat.

In most cases, men drink beer while women prefer wine. 

The team said that their finding shows 'direct associations' between the type of alcohol a person consumes and their body composition.

Each alcohol contains different nutrient profile therefore, a 'strong preference' contributes to different body composition for instance, as beer-drinkers having a wider waistline.

The researchers encouraged adults to drink in moderation and to replace beer or spirits with wine to reduce the risk of gaining weight.

High proportion of total alcohol intake should be white wine for those who are at risk of developing osteoporosis.

The team observed that red wine may help in reducing inflammation, trigger higher levels of 'good' cholesterol which is termed as high-density lipo proteins which discourages fat storage.

However, they noted that the data was self-reported so could provide only 'crude estimations' and may not apply to younger adults.

The research was published the Obesity Science & Practice journal.