White wine drinkers breathe more easily

It's the news millions of Chardonnay drinkers have been waiting for - white wine is good for your health.

Researchers have found that people who drank white wine had better lung function than all other drinkers - and even teetotallers.

While other studies have shown that red wine in moderation can reduce the risk of heart disease, it is the first time white wine has shown health benefits.

The findings, by researchers from the University of Buffalo, were presented to the annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society today

They questioned 1,500 people from New York state about what they drank and how often. The participants were then tested for lung function.

Drinking white wine was linked to significantly better lung function and the effect was stronger for white than it was for red. Beer, alcopops and spirits had no beneficial effect on lung function, nor did the subjects' overall alcohol consumption.

Wine drinkers also had the highest levels of antioxidants, which protect the body against "free radicals" - highly reactive molecules that damage cell structures in the heart and lungs.

Professor Holger Schunemann, of the University of Buffalo's School of Medicine, said: "Red wine in moderation has shown to be beneficial for the heart, but the relationship was stronger for white wine. We think that antioxidants in the wine account for our findings."

British experts said the findings were "interesting" but urged people not to take the research as an excuse to up their alcohol intake.

Dr John Harvey of the British Thoracic Society said: "The link between wine and lung function is not clear and we need further research into this interesting new area.

"We would not encourage people to increase their wine intake because drinking alcohol to excess can increase the likelihood of health problems, including high blood pressure, liver and heart disease."

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