RED WINE VS. WHITE WINE: WHICH IS BETTER FOR YOUR HEART?

Medically reviewed by Allison Herries, RDN

Key Takeaways

• White wine is made from pressed grapes, where the stems, seeds, and skins are removed. Red wine is made from pressed grapes that keep the stems, seeds, and skins. Research suggests red wine is a healthier choice for heart health.
• Moderate red wine consumption is associated with several heart health benefits, including lower cholesterol, reduced inflammation, improved blood vessel health, and a lower risk of heart disease. 
• White wine may also provide some of these health benefits, but it provides a lower concentration of beneficial antioxidants.

When deciding whether to open a bottle of red wine vs white wine, you may wonder which is the healthier choice. Red wine is known for its heart-healthy benefits, but white wine also contains beneficial antioxidants. 

Red Wine Is Better for Your Heart

White and red wine are made from grapes that have been crushed and fermented. However, with red wine, the pressed grapes contain the stems, seeds, and skins, whereas with white wine, they are removed. Grape skin contains powerful antioxidants that contribute to the health benefits of red wine, making it a more heart-healthy choice.

Red and white wines have similar nutritional profiles, with about the same number of calories and grams of sugar. Red wine tends to provide higher levels of vitamins and other healthy nutrients.

If you enjoy an occasional glass of white wine, there is no need to force yourself to switch to red. Any health benefits from wine can only be obtained from moderate drinking. Heavy or excessive drinking can lead to several serious health problems. 

How Red Wine Affects Your Heart

Red wine is rich in polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that may benefit the heart. Research shows that drinking a moderate amount of red wine regularly may protect you from heart disease.

One study found that people who moderately drink red wine are less likely to die from heart disease than those who do not drink red wine.

Possible heart health benefits of red wine include:

• Improved cholesterol: Moderate drinking of red wine is associated with higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ("good"), which lowers the risk of heart disease by removing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol ("bad") from the arteries. 
• Reduced inflammation: Resveratrol in red wine helps reduce inflammation throughout the body, thereby improving blood vessel health and function. This puts less stress on the heart. 
• Lowered risk of heart disease: Research suggests that drinking a moderate amount of red wine regularly reduces the risk of heart disease and the risk of dying from heart disease. Polyphenols may prevent LDL cholesterol from accumulating in blood vessels, reducing the risk of dangerous blockages. 

Additional benefits of red wine include:

• Slowed cognitive decline 
• Improved insulin sensitivity 
• Reduced risk of certain cancers (more research is needed) 

However, most research on the benefits of wine comes from observational studies, making it unclear whether red wine improves health or whether other factors, such as diet and exercise, are at play. The strongest findings linking red wine to health benefits come from studies where wine is part of a Mediterranean diet, suggesting that an overall pattern of healthy eating is key.

How White Wine Affects Your Heart

Like red wine, white wine contains polyphenols that protect against heart disease. However, there is a lower concentration of polyphenols in white wine than in red wine. A review found that white wine may offer the following heart health benefits:

• Improved cholesterol: Drinking a moderate amount of white wine regularly may increase HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol. 
• Less inflammation: Like red wine, white wine contains plant compounds that reduce inflammation and protect against cell damage. 
• Lower risk of heart disease: Animal studies suggest that drinking white wine may lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of a heart attack. However, human studies are needed to determine if white wine effectively improves heart health. 

Takeaway

A diet rich in polyphenols may reduce inflammation, prevent cell damage, and lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Red wine contains resveratrol, a polyphenol associated with improved blood vessel function and heart health.

Risks of Regularly Drinking Wine

While both red and white wines offer some health benefits, there is no need to start drinking wine for your health. There are serious downsides to drinking alcohol. Drinking excessively can raise the risk of developing chronic health conditions, including liver disease, heart disease, certain cancers, and alcohol use disorder. 

Experts advise limiting your alcohol consumption to moderate drinking, which is defined as:

• Two drinks or less per day for people assigned male at birth
• One drink or less per day for people assigned female at birth 

Additionally, some research suggests that even moderate drinking of any alcohol (including wine) may increase the risk of certain adverse health outcomes, including high blood pressure, stroke, and cancer.

Read the original article on Verywell Health

2026-02-03T13:03:37Z