The Short-Term Health Effects of Dealcoholised Red Wine: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Cardiovascular Health
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Red wine consumption is linked to purported health benefits attributed to polyphenols, but alcohol poses significant health risks.
• The potential benefits of dealcoholised red wine remain controversial and require systematic investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze randomized controlled trials on the health benefits of dealcoholised red wine.
• To compare dealcoholised red wine against red wine and water to assess specific health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Searched major scientific databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, Web of Science) for relevant randomized controlled or cross-over trials.
• Included studies comparing dealcoholised red wine with red wine or water.
• Analyzed outcomes including antioxidant capacity, cardiovascular function, immune function, liver function, metabolism, microbiome diversity, and inflammatory markers using random effects meta-analyses.

Main Results:

• Dealcoholised red wine consumption was associated with increased serum/plasma antioxidant capacity (SMD = 0.72) and microbiome diversity (SMD = 0.63) compared to water.
• A smaller, negative effect on microbiome diversity was observed when comparing dealcoholised red wine to red wine (SMD = -0.32).
• No significant differences were found for other assessed health outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Dealcoholised red wine may provide short-term health benefits, particularly in enhancing antioxidant capacity and microbiome diversity.
• The evidence is limited by study heterogeneity, small sample sizes, and short follow-up periods.
• Given the uncertainties in long-term effects and the known harms of alcohol, the precautionary principle should be applied, and these findings do not support red wine consumption for health benefits.