Wine &
Health, aug/sep 2005
A recent study by researchers at the Association
for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
may give red wine lovers even more reason
to feel smug about their beverage of choice.
The results of a five-year study indicate
that red wine consumption may decrease the
risk of cataracts.
The study was conducted in Iceland on a
group of about 1000 men and women over 50
years old. Researchers examined the subjects'
eye opacity at the beginning of the study,
in 1996, and then reexamined them again
in 2001. The subjects were grouped into
lifetime abstainers, former drinkers, drinkers
of less than one drink per month, and those
that drank more than twice a month. This
last group was defined as "drinkers,"
and made up approximately 38% of the entire
subject group. Of the 38%, approximately
94% were classified as "moderate drinkers,"
with moderate defined as anything up to
two or three glasses per day.
After five years, the results showed that
the incidence of any type of cataract was
22% in the drinkers and 32.2% in the non-drinkers.
Breaking it down even further by type of
alcohol, the cataract incidence was 23%
in beer drinkers, 19% in spirits drinkers,
and 13% in red wine drinkers. White wine
was not a significant part of the study.
Source: The
Protective Effect of Wine Intake on Five
Year's Incidence of Cataract -Reykjavik
Eye Study-
H. Sasaki1, F. Jonasson2, Y. Suwa3, M. Koike3,
N. Takahashi1 and K. Sasaki4
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