A glass or two of wine a day slows ageing in men - but not in women, doctors find

A glass or two of wine a day slows ageing in men - but not in women, doctors believe.

Men who drank about 200ml of wine a day were nearly six months biologically younger than non-drinkers, a study shows. A small glass of wine in a bar is 125ml.

Non-alcoholic compounds in wine are likely responsible, say researchers, because other boozy drinks did not show the same effect.

But women gain no benefit. Medics believe that is because they metabolise alcohol differently and have different hormonal profiles.

Biological age, based on the physiological age of cells, tissues and organs, is considered to be a better indicator of the risk of disease and mortality than chronological age.

The study at LUM university in Casamassima, southern Italy, compared drinking profiles with biological ageing in 22,000 people.

Biological ageing was calculated using Al to analyse data from blood samples of the men and women based on 36 markers in the blood including hormones, fats and inflammatory compounds. 

Results showed that men drinking about 200ml of wine a day were around 0.4 years biologically younger than non-drinkers.

The doctors say wine is a major source of polyphenols which have been implicated in reducing inflammation, oxidative stress and improving metabolic functioning, each of which is involved in biological ageing.

Lifestyle and factors such as smoking and obesity are linked to faster biological ageing, while dietary patterns, including the Mediterranean diet, are associated with slower ageing.

The Italian doctors, writing in the International Journal of Public Health, say: 'This is the first study to examine the association between patterns of wine consumption and a blood-based measure of biological ageing.

'Moderate wine consumption, but not overall alcohol intake, may contribute to slower biological ageing in men. Components such as polyphenols are a plausible explanation.'