New Study Reveals The Relationship Between Drinking Wine And COVID

red, white, and rose wine in different styles of glasses

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By Molly Harris/Updated: Feb. 4, 2022 1:45 pm EST

Those who were paying close attention to a study released by the UK National Health Service might have gotten excited about their latest find. The study's report showed a correlation between those who consume certain kinds of wine and their likelihood for contracting COVID-19. Though it might be tempting to jump to the conclusion that drinking some wine could help ward off the highly-transmittable virus, that isn't exactly what the study suggests (via Wine-Searcher).

The study found that those who do not drink at all were more likely to get COVID-19 while those who drink liquor had no more or less of a chance of contracting the virus. But the key findings were that those who drank 14 glasses of red wine or fewer per week were 10 to 17% less likely to get COVID-19. The same number of glasses of fortified wine reduced the risk by 12%. Those who drank white wine or Champagne were up to 8% less likely to get the virus. However, it is vital to remember that these figures were reported as correlative patterns, rather than the direct effect of alcohol on COVID-19.

The news might be too good to be true

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While wine has long been touted as a heart-healthy beverage in moderation, the World Health Organization has other guidelines for consuming alcohol (via Mayo Clinic). WHO explains that alcohol actually takes quite a toll on your body's functions and immune system. In fact, it causes both "short-term and long-term" damage to your health because it affects every organ. Worst of all, alcohol can increase the chance of acute respiratory distress syndrome, which is a key characteristic of severe COVID-19 illness.

The good news is you may be able to get the same health benefits of red wine by drinking certain kinds of red grape juice, according to the Mayo Clinic. So, if you want to ensure that you are not accidentally exposing your body to an increased risk of sickness, or even more dire side effects of that sickness, you may want to put down that glass of wine and pick up some a cup of juice.