The apparent benefits of drinking wine may not be in the wine at all. People who opt for a glass of wine after work may already be smarter, happier and more well adjusted than their beer-drinking friends, researchers suggest.

The findings of a recent study indicate that people who choose wine over beer may have certain traits that explain the apparent health benefits of wine described in previous studies.

Among both sexes, the difference in IQ scores between those who drank only beer and those who drank only wine were substantial. The average IQ of beer drinkers was 95.2 compared with 113.2 for wine drinkers, the investigators found.

Wine drinkers also appeared to be more well adjusted. For instance, women who preferred wine tended to be less neurotic and more extroverted than their peers who preferred beer, while beer-drinking men tended to be more neurotic.

Additionally, beer drinkers were more likely abuse alcohol and drugs, and smoke heavily.

The results suggest that wine drinking is associated with optimal social, intellectual, and personality functioning, while beer drinking is associated with suboptimal characteristics.

Previous studies have shown that moderate wine drinkers are healthier than people who consume other alcoholic beverages or no alcohol at all. Similarly, light to moderate wine drinking has been linked with a lower risk for several health problems, including stroke, upper digestive tract cancer, lung cancer and hip fracture, and to a lower rate of death, compared with abstaining or drinking beer or other forms of alcohol.

Archives of Internal Medicine August 13/27 2001;161:1844-1848

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Many people are confused about the alcohol issue. I tend to believe the recommendations from the American College of Cardiology are useful: Consumption of one alcoholic drink per day appears to reduce the risk of heart disease in middle-aged men, but two drinks or more each day may offset these benefits by increasing the risk of some cancers. People with liver disease or a history of alcohol abuse should not drink at all, while those with diabetes and hypertension may partake in light alcohol consumption. It would appear that selecting wine as the alcoholic beverage would be beneficial. This may be due to the flavanoid content of the wine. However, I would still advise caution for all those who are struggling to control insulin levels (those with high blood pressure, extra weight, diabetes, or high cholesterol). It would likely be wise to control the health problems prior to using the wine or other alcoholic beverages. Regarding the above study though it is important to recognize that this study was done in Denmark and not the US and in 30 year olds, so the results may not be widely applicable to the generalized US or other populations. Related Articles: One Drink Is Good, More Than Two Isn't Wine Has Lower Cancer Risk Than Beer, Spirits Wine to Get "Health Effects" Label Alcohol For Heart Attack and Heart Failure Protection? Alcohol Abstainers Not at Risk