News | Italian Study: Moderate Wine Consumption May Be Associated with Slower Biological Aging in Men
A study published in the International Journal of Public Health shows that, within the framework of a Mediterranean diet, moderate wine consumption may be associated with slower biological aging in men, but this effect was not observed for total alcohol intake, suggesting that different types of alcoholic beverages and drinking patterns have significantly different health effects.
The study was based on the Moli-sani Study, a large population cohort in southern Italy, and included 22,495 adults. Dietary and drinking habits over the past year were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and "Biological Age" (BA) was calculated using multidimensional biomarkers. The research team used a deep neural network model integrating 36 indicators covering metabolic, cardiovascular, renal, and inflammatory systems, and used the difference between BA and chronological age (CA), denoted as Δage, as an indicator of aging speed.
The results showed that the average chronological age of the study population was 55.6 years, while the average biological age was 54.9 years, showing an overall mild trend toward "delayed aging." Among men, moderate wine consumption as defined by Mediterranean diet standards (approximately 125–500 mL/day) was associated with a lower Δage, meaning their biological age was relatively younger.
Specifically, the association was most pronounced at a daily intake of approximately 170 mL (about 1–2 glasses), with biological age reduced by an average of about 0.34 years. The study also found that both very low intake and excessive consumption tended to produce neutral or even negative results, suggesting that the "moderate range" is key to the direction of the effect.
In contrast, total alcohol intake did not show a similar association. The study noted that when alcohol came from diverse sources or total consumption was high, it was instead associated with accelerated biological aging, implying that different types of alcoholic beverages may not be equivalent in their health effects.
The study also observed that this association was mainly present in men, while women showed no significant differences across different levels of wine consumption. Although the sex interaction analysis did not reach statistical significance, the research team speculated that this may be related to differences in alcohol metabolism in women, such as lower alcohol dehydrogenase activity, as well as hormonal factors, making them more sensitive to alcohol.
At the mechanistic level, the study suggested that bioactive substances such as polyphenols contained in wine may play a role in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic regulation, thereby exerting a potential influence on the aging process, rather than the effect being attributable to alcohol itself.
In addition, the study found that people who followed a healthy lifestyle, such as those with lower body weight, higher physical activity levels, and fewer chronic diseases, were more likely to drink moderately, but these factors were adjusted for in the statistical models, thereby strengthening the reliability of the results.
Notably, the study did not find that overall adherence to the Mediterranean diet significantly modulated the above association, suggesting that wine itself may have a certain independent effect. At the same time, other dietary factors such as vegetable intake and the proportion of healthy fats were also associated with slower aging.
The research team emphasized that this was an observational study and could not establish causality. Although the results provide new clues for "healthy aging," further validation through long-term follow-up and mechanistic studies is still needed, as well as to provide a basis for public health policy.
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News | Italian Study: Moderate Wine Consumption May Be Associated with Slower Biological Aging in Men
A study published in the International Journal of Public Health shows that, within the framework of a Mediterranean diet, moderate wine consumption may be associated with slower biological aging in men, but this effect was not observed for total alcohol intake, suggesting that different types of alcoholic beverages and drinking patterns have significantly different health effects.
The study was based on the Moli-sani Study, a large population cohort in southern Italy, and included 22,495 adults. Dietary and drinking habits over the past year were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and "Biological Age" (BA) was calculated using multidimensional biomarkers. The research team used a deep neural network model integrating 36 indicators covering metabolic, cardiovascular, renal, and inflammatory systems, and used the difference between BA and chronological age (CA), denoted as Δage, as an indicator of aging speed.
The results showed that the average chronological age of the study population was 55.6 years, while the average biological age was 54.9 years, showing an overall mild trend toward "delayed aging." Among men, moderate wine consumption as defined by Mediterranean diet standards (approximately 125–500 mL/day) was associated with a lower Δage, meaning their biological age was relatively younger.
Specifically, the association was most pronounced at a daily intake of approximately 170 mL (about 1–2 glasses), with biological age reduced by an average of about 0.34 years. The study also found that both very low intake and excessive consumption tended to produce neutral or even negative results, suggesting that the "moderate range" is key to the direction of the effect.
In contrast, total alcohol intake did not show a similar association. The study noted that when alcohol came from diverse sources or total consumption was high, it was instead associated with accelerated biological aging, implying that different types of alcoholic beverages may not be equivalent in their health effects.
The study also observed that this association was mainly present in men, while women showed no significant differences across different levels of wine consumption. Although the sex interaction analysis did not reach statistical significance, the research team speculated that this may be related to differences in alcohol metabolism in women, such as lower alcohol dehydrogenase activity, as well as hormonal factors, making them more sensitive to alcohol.
At the mechanistic level, the study suggested that bioactive substances such as polyphenols contained in wine may play a role in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic regulation, thereby exerting a potential influence on the aging process, rather than the effect being attributable to alcohol itself.
In addition, the study found that people who followed a healthy lifestyle, such as those with lower body weight, higher physical activity levels, and fewer chronic diseases, were more likely to drink moderately, but these factors were adjusted for in the statistical models, thereby strengthening the reliability of the results.
Notably, the study did not find that overall adherence to the Mediterranean diet significantly modulated the above association, suggesting that wine itself may have a certain independent effect. At the same time, other dietary factors such as vegetable intake and the proportion of healthy fats were also associated with slower aging.
The research team emphasized that this was an observational study and could not establish causality. Although the results provide new clues for "healthy aging," further validation through long-term follow-up and mechanistic studies is still needed, as well as to provide a basis for public health policy.
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