Red Wine May Protect Heart From Cigarettes
Researchers Say Chronic Smoking Still Harmful
POSTED: 4:51 p.m. EDT September 1, 2003
Smoking is bad for your heart -- but if you add a couple of glasses of red wine to that cigarette, you may be spared some of the negative effects.
A new study performed by researchers at Alexandra University Hospital in Athens, Greece, found that two glasses of red wine suspended the harmful effects of one cigarette.
Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease -- and a common habit for millions of people. The researchers found that some nonalcoholic components of red wine counteracted the negative effects of cigarette smoking on the heart.
The study, which included 16 healthy adults, was presented Sunday at the European Society of Cardiology's annual meeting in Vienna.
The researchers emphasized that drinking wine regularly would not protect from the harmful effects of chronic smoking. But they said the study is one step closer to determining which component of red wine is strong enough to protect the heart to some degree.
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