Between warming cups of mulled wine and flutes filled with bubbly, the Christmas season doesn’t leave many glasses dry. While alcohol is generally pretty bad for you, Dr Michael Mosley has revealed the best alcoholic drink to enjoy this festive season.
The health guru took to his Instagram to share that a popular alcoholic drink could improve your blood sugar levels, have a positive impact on cholesterol and lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. Red wine seems to escape the harmful effects when drunk in moderation.
Posting to Instagram, Dr Mosley penned: “This Christmas Party season choose Red! Drinking red wine can result in healthier blood sugar levels, lowering the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
“Cholesterol may also be positively impacted by red wine, with the gut also seeing signs of improvement if red wine is consumed in moderation throughout the week. It means that swapping your regular G&T or pint of beer for a small red wine could see your overall health improved.”
If you want to maximise your festive indulgence as well as the health benefits, you’ll be pleased to hear that research suggests that pairing red wine with a meal is much more effective. One longitudinal study even found that this meal and wine combination can stave off type 2 diabetes.
Looking at 312,000 people for an average of 11 years, the research team noticed that having wine with a meal was associated with a 14 percent lower risk of the blood sugar condition.
Furthermore, the red alcoholic drink also achieved “significant” improvements in cholesterol levels in research. However, if you don’t drink alcohol at all, then the doctor doesn’t “suggest” you start now, Dr Mosley previously revealed on his podcast Just One Thing.
But if you already enjoy the occasional tipple, it might be time to swap your go-to for a glass of red.
Speaking on one episode of his BBC Sounds podcast, the doctor said: “Choose red wine – a glass, or two – a few days a week. Doing so could benefit your gut microbiome and your heart.”
Remember, the NHS advises not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week.
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