Drinking Wine Reduces Chances of Cataract Surgery

"Researchers in the U.K. found that people who drank up to 14 units of alcohol per week (the maximum amount recommended by the National Health Service) were less likely to need cataract surgery. The most significant reduction in risk was linked to drinking wine--people who drank wine five or more times per week were 23 percent less likely than non-drinkers to eventually need cataract surgery."

Score one for all the great vintners in the valley and all the grape growers too.  But it appears not all "alcohol" is equal because the research found that drinking comparable amounts of beer or spirits showed no significant reduction in the risk of developing cataracts.

The specifics were five or more glasses a week proved to be most effective. Fourteen units of alcohol per week is the equivalent of 10 small glasses of low-strength wine. A 750ml bottle of red, white or rose wine (alcohol by volume 13.5%) contains 10 units.

How's it work?  "While the reason for the link remains unclear, the experts suggest that polyphenol antioxidants - which are especially abundant in red wine - may have a protective role."

More research is needed but scientists remind us that drinking large amounts of alcohol is linked to a range of serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer.