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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, May 31, 2002

Treat your lungs to a glass, or two, of sauvignon blanc

By Steve Sternberg
USA Today

Red wine may be best for your heart, but researchers have reported that white wine beats red at preserving aging lungs.

"People who drank white wine had greater lung function than those who consumed red wine, but both groups of wine drinkers had greater lung function than non-wine drinkers," says Holger Schunemann of the State University of New York-Buffalo.

Both red and white wine have high concentrations of flavor compounds called polyphenols and flavonoids. Some experts believe these antioxidants may protect lung tissue from minute atomic particles called free radicals that, over time, damage tissues.

The study, involving 1,555 adults, is the latest of several studies showing that moderate drinking may be good for your health. Red wine has been shown to guard against clogged arteries and to boost blood levels of HDL cholesterol, the beneficial cholesterol that ushers fats out of the bloodstream. Another study showed that a few drinks a week — whether wine, beer or liquor — may help women avoid high blood pressure.

In the study, white-wine drinkers had 3 percent better lung function and red-wine drinkers had 1.5 percent better lung function than nondrinkers, Schunemann told an American Thoracic Society meeting in Atlanta.

Peter Wagner of the University of California-San Diego says the study suggests that moderate wine drinking is "equivalent to slowing the age-related deterioration of the lungs by one to three years."

Researchers warn, however, that consuming excessive amounts of alcohol can cause a variety of problems, ranging from liver disease to addiction.

The study was sponsored by the American Lung Association and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.