Drinking a Glass of Wine a Day can Lower Risk of Depression

Drinking 1-2 small glasses of wine per day can reduce risk of developing depression, according to a new study.  

In the U.S., about one in every ten adults is depressed, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Heavy drinking is bad for health and can lead to severe mental problems. However, moderate consumption of alcohol is linked to good health and better quality of life. The present study was based on data obtained from more than 5000 light to moderate drinkers, tracked for over seven years.

Participants in the study were between ages 55 and 80 years. All of them went through several rounds of medical tests during the course of the study. According to the study data, most of them were wine drinkers. Researchers found that light to moderate drinkers; those who drank roughly two to seven small glasses of wine per day, had lower risk of depression.

The association between moderate consumption of wine and low depression remained even after researchers accounted for other factors such as lifestyle, age and marital status.

"Lower amounts of alcohol intake might exert protection in a similar way to what has been observed for coronary heart disease. In fact, it is believed that depression and coronary heart disease share some common disease mechanisms," Professor Miguel A. Martínez-González, from the University of Navarra (Spain), senior author of the study.

Previous studies on a wine compound 'resveratrol' have found that it can lower risk of falls in older adults.

The study is published in the journal BMC Medicine.