International Journal of Obesity (2004) 28, 1420–1426
& 2004 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved 0307-0565/04 $30.00
www.nature.com/ijo
PAPER
Effects of moderate consumption of white wine on
weight loss in overweight and obese subjects
M Flechtner-Mors1*, HK Biesalski1, CP Jenkinson2, G Adler3 and HH Ditschuneit3
1
Institute of Biological Chemistry and Nutrition, University of Hohenheim, Germany; 2University of Texas Health Science
Center at San Antonio, TX, USA; and 3Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulm, Germany
BACKGROUND: Patients on dietary, weight-reducing treatment commonly are advised against alcohol consumption. In light of
the widespread use of alcoholic beverages and the well-established benefits of light to moderate alcohol consumption in risk
reduction, a revision of dietary treatment recommendations may be warranted.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether daily consumption of moderate amounts of alcohol influences the effectiveness of an
energy-restricted diet in overweight and obese subjects.
DESIGN: A prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted, with a 3-months intervention period and two isocaloric dietary
regimens containing 6.3 MJ (1500 kcal) each, one with 10% of energy from white wine and one with 10% of energy from grape
juice. The trial was performed in obese subjects being recruited from the Obesity Outpatient Clinic at the University Hospital,
Ulm, who all habitually consumed moderate amounts of alcohol. Out of 87 patients, 49 were eligible to participate and 40
completed the study (age 48.1711.4 y, BMI 34.276.4 kg/m2). Efficacy parameters were body weight and biomarkers of good
health.
RESULTS: All subjects achieved significant body weight reduction. Weight loss in the grape juice group and white wine group
was 3.7570.46 and 4.7370.53 kg, respectively. Percent body fat, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, insulin,
triglycerides, and cholesterol were reduced. The antioxidant status was unchanged, as were liver enzyme activities and other
safety parameters. There were no significant differences between the groups.
CONCLUSIONS: An energy-restricted diet is effective in overweight and obese subjects used to drinking moderate amounts of
alcohol. A diet with 10% of energy derived from white wine is as effective as an isocaloric diet with 10% of energy derived from
grape juice.
International Journal of Obesity (2004) 28, 1420–1426. doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802786
Published online 31 August 2004
Keywords: alcohol; white wine; weight loss; energy-restricted diet
Introduction
Patients on dietary, weight-reducing treatment commonly
are advised against alcohol consumption, because alcohol
abuse is associated with considerable risk of morbidity and
mortality.1 However, there is good epidemiologic evidence
that regular moderate alcohol consumption is associated
with a low risk of major coronary heart disease events2 and
total mortality in the general population,3,4 and in diabetic
subjects an inverse association between alcohol consumption and mortality from coronary heart disease and from all
causes has been reported.5,6 Furthermore, it has been shown
*Correspondence: Dr M Flechtner-Mors, Department of Internal Medicine, University Ulm, Robert-Koch-Str. 8, D-89081 Ulm, Germany.
E-mail: [email protected]
Received 13 January 2004; revised 24 June 2004; accepted 27 June 2004;
published online 31 August 2004
that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a
lower risk of development of type 2 diabetes.7,8 A revision of
dietary treatment guidelines to include appropriate use of
alcohol, instead of a strict abstinence policy, may be
warranted in light of the widespread use of alcoholic
beverages and the well-established benefits of light to
moderate alcohol consumption in risk reduction.
To our knowledge, there are no data available on the
effectiveness of an energy-restricted diet on weight loss in
subjects who habitually consume alcohol and who are not
willing to omit alcohol intake while slimming. The aim of
this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an energyrestricted diet on weight loss in overweight and obese
subjects who regularly consume moderate amounts of
alcohol. We also investigated whether there was any
impairment of the effectiveness of the diet in subjects
consuming alcohol during dietary treatment compared to
Wine consumption and weight loss
M Flechtner-Mors et al
1421
subjects with no alcohol consumption. Subjects were given a
diet with 10% of total energy intake derived from either
grape juice or white wine. We examined whether there were
any differences between the diet groups in weight loss, and
biochemical health parameters between the groups after a 3month intervention period.
Methods
Subjects
The patients were recruited from the Obesity Center at the
outpatient clinic of the University Hospital, where they had
been transferred because of overweight problems. The
patients were informed that the purpose of the study was
to compare the effectiveness of two diet plans, one with
white wine, and one with grape juice. The study was
approved by the Ethics Committee at the University of Ulm.
Inclusion criteria
Men and women aged 418 y with body mass index between
425.0. and r40.0 kg/m2 who regularly consumed 20–30 g
alcohol per day and who were willing to be randomly
assigned to study groups and to follow the program protocol.
All subjects who had given their written informed consent
were invited to participate in the study.
Exclusion criteria
Individuals with a history or presence of significant disease,
endocrine disorders, psychiatric diseases, alcohol or drug
abuse, or abnormal laboratory test results of clinical
significance were excluded. In addition, women were
excluded if they were lactating, pregnant or wished to
become pregnant.
Out of 87 patients, 49 patients were randomly assigned to
two different diets providing 1500 kcal/day each. One group
of patients was given a diet with 200 ml of white wine per
day and the other group was instead given 200 ml of grape
juice. All subjects enrolled in the study were wine-drinkers.
White wine was specifically chosen, because it is the
preferred form of wine in the geographical region of
Southern Germany from where the subjects came. Additional alcoholic beverages were not allowed during the study.
Study design
The study was a prospective parallel intervention trial, in
which patients were randomly assigned to one of two dietary
treatment groups, a white wine (WW) group and a grape
juice (GJ) group. Patients were analyzed according to their
group assignment.
Dietary intervention
The dietary intervention was structured such that a staff
nutritionist designed the diet regimen, explained the diet
plan in detail, and counseled participants. Throughout the
study, patients were prescribed a balanced diet providing
6.3 MJ/day (1500 kcal/day), with 15% of energy as protein,
30–35% of energy as fat, complemented with either 50–55%
of energy as carbohydrates including grape juice, or complemented with 45–50% of energy as carbohydrates and
approximately 10% of energy from white wine
(200 ml ¼ 0.57 MJ [136 kcal]). Thus, 10% of energy came from
either grape juice or white wine. The energy deficit was 2.1–
2.9 MJ (500–700 kcal)/day. The subjects made 7-day dietary
diaries the week before they visited the hospital. The diaries
were analyzed and subjects were advised if needed.
Data collection
After a screening visit, patients were seen monthly in the
morning after an overnight fast. Body weight was measured
to the nearest 0.1 kg using the same precision scale with
patients dressed in underwear. Waist and hip circumferences
were measured to the nearest 0.5 cm using a nonstretchable
tape measure. Sagittal diameter was determined using an
abdominal caliper to measure supine height of the abdomen.
Body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance
analysis. Blood pressure was measured on the upper right
arm using a mercury column manometer to the nearest
5 mmHg with the patient in a supine position after the
patient had rested for at least 10 min. Measurements were
made at each visit under similar conditions. At baseline and
after 3 months, blood samples were drawn at 0800 after an
overnight fast. Biochemical and safety measurements were
performed by standard methods in the Department of
Clinical Chemistry at the University Hospital. Liver functions tests (ALT, AST, AP, GT), creatinine, leucocytes,
erythrocytes and hemoglobin were performed with routine
methods. Total cholesterol was measured by enzymatic
colorimetric methods using kits (Boehringer Mannheim
GmbH, Mannhein, Germany). HDL-cholesterol was measured after precipitation with polyanions. Triglycerides were
measured enzymatically using kits (Boehringer Mannheim
GmbH, Mannheim, Germany). Blood glucose was measured
enzymatically (GOD)/amperometrically (H2O2). Serum insulin was measured using an enzymometric immunoassay
AIA-Pack IRI (Tosoh Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). Fibrinogen,
uric acid and leucocytes were measured by standard
methods.
Measurements of Vitamin C radicals as a parameter of
antioxidant status were performed in the Department of
Biochemistry and Nutrition at the University of Hohenheim
by ESR-Spectroscopie using MiniScope MS 200 (Magnettech
GmbH, Berlin, Germany).
Patients who did not complete the study, were replaced by
others, until in each group 20 patients had completed the 3
months study.
Statistics
Comparison of baseline values between the two different
groups of patients, one with white wine and one with grape
International Journal of Obesity
Wine consumption and weight loss
M Flechtner-Mors et al
1422
juice exchanged, were calculated by using a two-sample
t-test. A paired t-test was used to test whether there were
significant changes from baseline to 3 months for each
group. The comparison between 3 months changes between
GJ and WW, was performed with a two-sample t-test. Values
are given as means7s.e.m.
Results
Out of 87 patients, 49 agreed to participate and were
randomly assigned to Group GJ or to Group WW. Nine
patients withdrew prior to the end of the study due to
professional, familial, and social reasons. Patients who
dropped out were replaced. Overall, 20 patients in each
group completed the study. Baseline characteristics of the
patients are given in Table 1. None were smokers, and all
habitually consumed moderate amounts of alcohol.
Subjects assigned to the WW group modestly had higher
age and greater BMI compared with subjects of the GJ group,
but the differences were not statistically significant between
the groups. The drop-out subjects were not included in the
analysis, since we aimed to investigate whether white wine,
added isocalorically to an energy-restricted diet, influenced
weight loss.
All the subjects reduced their body weight (Figure 1). In
the GJ group weight loss was 3.7570.46 kg (range 0.90–
8.00 kg) or 4.0% of initial body weight (Po0.001). In the
WW group, weight loss was 4.7370.53 kg (range 0.90–
11.70 kg) or 4.88% of initial body weight (Po0.001). The
weight loss in the WW group was 26.1% greater than in the
GJ group, but the difference was not significant. BMI, sagittal
diameter, waist circumference, hip circumference, thigh
circumference, and fat mass were reduced in both groups.
Statistically significant differences between the GJ group and
the WW group were not observed (Table 2).
The subjects were prescribed a diet containing 6.3 MJ
(1500 kcal)/day. The analysis of self-reported 7-day diaries
Figure 1 Weight loss (kg7s.e.m.) in subjects after 3 months of dietary
treatment with an energy-restricted diet (6.2 MJ [1500 kcal]/day) with grape
juice (n ¼ 20) or white wine (n ¼ 20), respectively. In both groups there was a
significant weight loss (Po0.001). No difference in weight loss was observed
between the groups (ns).
showed that the subjects adhered to the diet plan. Between
the groups there was no difference, except that in the WW
group the carbohydrates were lower than in the GJ group
because of their white wine consumption (Table 3).
Blood glucose, insulin, and triacylglycerol was reduced
with weight loss, but there were no significant changes in
the GJ group or in the WW group. Total cholesterol was
reduced, the reduction being significant only in the GJ group
(Po0.05).
HDL-cholesterol and fibrinogen did not change significantly in either group. The uric acid level was modestly
higher after the weight reduction in the WW group
(Po0.05), but in all subjects the values were well below the
upper limit of normal (Table 4).
The safety parameters (Table 5) did not change significantly after the weight reduction in both groups.
Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the subjects at the beginning of the study
Number (female/male)
Age (y)
Body weight (kg)
Height (cm)
BMI (kg/m2)
BP systolic (mmHg)
BP diastolic (mmHg)
Sagittal diameter (cm)
Umbilical circumference (cm)
Hip circumference (cm)
Thigh circumference (cm)
Fat mass (kg)
Fat %
Water mass (kg)
Water %
Lean body mass (kg)
International Journal of Obesity
Grape juice
White wine
Drop-out
13/7
45.572.4
93.374.7
16772.0
33.371.6
13274.3
80.272.1
24.871.3
10574.2
11573.9
66.871.9
32.472.8
34.171.7
42.071.8
45.271.2
60.272.3
14/6
50.672.6
96.974.0
16571.7
35.271.3
13975.7
85.072.8
26.471.0
112.074.0
116.572.1
67.871.7
36.372.4
37.371 .3
44.673.1
44.471.2
60.572.3
8/1
46.175.0
97.476.0
16271.5
36.872.3
14579.3
87.874.8
24.771.5
108.175.4
117.173.1
69.472.1
39.374.2
39.671.9
41.171.8
42.871.9
58.071.8
Discussion
The results of this prospective controlled comparison trial
showed that an energy-restricted diet was effective in
overweight and obese subjects who habitually consume
moderate amounts of alcohol and who maintained their
habit during treatment with an energy-restricted diet.
The energy content of the prescribed diet was 6.3 MJ
(1500 kcal)/day and within 90 days a weight loss of 4.5% of
initial weight was achieved. Thus, most of the patients
satisfactorily had observed the diet prescriptions and had
lost a significant amount of body weight. In this trial, all the
subjects entering the study practiced moderate alcohol
consumption, but all agreed to be randomized into two
groups with an energy-restricted diet, one with and one
Wine consumption and weight loss
M Flechtner-Mors et al
1423
Table 2 Anthropometric parameters of obese subjects at the beginning of the study and after 3 months of treatment with an energy-restricted diet with grape juice
(n ¼ 20) or white wine (n ¼ 20)
Grape juice
Before
Body weight (kg)
BMI (kg/m2)
Sagittal diameter (cm)
Waist circumference (cm)
Hip circumference (cm)
Thigh circumference (cm)
Fat (% of body weight)
Fat mass (kg)
*
White wine
After 3 months
*
93.374.7
33.271.5
24.871.3
105.274.2
115.274.2
66.871.9
34.171.7
32.472.8
89.574.6
31.971.5*
23.871.6*
102.274.6
113.173.9*
63.271.8*
33.271.7
30.973.0*
After 3 months
96.974.0
35.271.2
26.470.9
112.074.0
116.572.1
67.871.7
37.371.3
36.372.4
92.273.9*
33.571.2*
24.571.0*
107.873.8*
114.072.0
64.371.6*
36.171.5
33.772.5*
Po0.05 vs baseline.
Table 3
Energy and nutrient intake of obese subjects based on self-reported 7-day dietary diaries after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of intervention
6.2 MJ/day (1500 kcal) with grape juice
Total energy
4 weeks
8 weeks
12 weeks
Carbohydrates
4 weeks
8 weeks
12 weeks
Alcohol (200 ml white wine)
4 weeks
8 weeks
12 weeks
Protein
4 weeks
8 weeks
12 weeks
6.2 MJ/day (1500 kcal) with white wine
MJ/day (kcal/day)
5.970.3 (1432.5782)
5.970.3 (1420.5786)
6.070.2 (1439.9768)
% energy
Total fat
4 weeks
8 weeks
12 weeks
6.370.4 (1514.37116)
6.270.4 (1481.37102)
5.970.4 (1432.27117)
g
% energy
g
34.4
36.0
36.4
53.073.0
55.573.8
56.473.0
35.1
35.5
35.1
57.375.3
56.774.8
54.275.3
46.2
45.1
45.1
161.779.0
156.6710.9
158.577.2
37.9
37.3
36.7
140.3711.7*
134.879.0*
128.5710.7*
F
F
F
10.1
10.3
10.6
67.574.2
64.073.6
64.873.1
16.7
16.7
17.3
F
F
F
19.3
18.4
18.4
Cholesterol (mg/day)
4 weeks
8 weeks
12 weeks
221724
203721
203721
212724
224727
221730
Fiber (g/day)
4 weeks
8 weeks
12 weeks
20.571.2
20.071.4
21.071.3
19.470.6
18.671.3
18.671.8
*
Before
21.5
21.5
21.5
61.975.0
60.774.1
60.774.9
Po0.05 vs grape juice.
without white wine for a study period of 3 months. The
results of the study provide empirical justification for the
integration of moderate amounts of alcohol into an energyrestricted diet for those obese subjects who habitually drink
alcohol and are not ready to quit their alcohol consumption
during dietary treatment.
The study was performed with subjects who were accustomed to drink alcohol in moderate amounts, therefore the
results may not be applicable to subjects with alcohol abuse.
In this context it must be stressed that moderate alcohol
intake has been defined as no more than one drink per day
for most women and no more than two drinks per day for
International Journal of Obesity
Wine consumption and weight loss
M Flechtner-Mors et al
1424
Table 4 Biochemical parameters at the beginning of the study and after 3 months, in obese subjects treated with an energy-restricted diet with grape juice (n ¼ 20)
or white wine (n ¼ 20)
Grape juice
Blood glucose (mg/dl)
Insulin (mU/ml)
Cholesterol (mmol/l)
HDL-cholesterol (mmol/l)
Triglycerides (mmol/l)
Uric acid (mmol/l)
Fibrinogen (g/l)
Vitamin C radical (nM)
White wine
Before
After 3 months
Before
After 3 months
95.275.2
12.572.9
5.3770.20
1.4770.09
1.6070.20
289715
3.0170.22
F
90.573.5
10.874.7
4.9670.18*
1.4770.07
1.2970.19
286717
3.1770.21
F
106.378.0
17.675.1
5.5570.24
1.4770.13
1.8770.28
306718
3.2370.14
18.571.1
99.175.6
13.772.7
5.3770.30
1.4370.07
1.6570.35
333716*
3.1770.13
18.771.3
*
Po0.05 vs baseline.
Table 5 Safety parameters of obese subjects before and after 3 month of treatment with an energy-restricted diet with grape juice (n ¼ 20) or white wine (n ¼ 20)
Grape juice
AST (U/l)
ALT (U/l)
Alkaline phosphatase (U/l)
GT (U/l)
Leucocytes (109/l)
Erythrocytes (1012/l)
Hemoglobin
Creatinine
Before
After 3 months
Before
After 3 months
13.371.8
16.372.5
7675
21.478.6
7.1470.32
4.8070.08
14.170.2
81.073.3
10.371.6
16.772.8
7375
22.778.9
6.9670.34
4.6670.08
13.870.2
85.074.1
9.370.8
17.773.9
83.675.7
22.8710.1
7.8970.40
4.7570.08
14.370.2
76.973.6
9.870.9
17.772.2
81.074.6
21.179.3
7.4170.40
4.7670.09
14.570.2
84.373.3
men,9 and that physicians and nutritionists must exercise
caution in recommending alcohol use, since it may lead to
overuse. Nonetheless, we feel that there is a need to
recognize that energy derived from alcoholic beverages is a
significant component of human nutrition. The estimated
alcohol contribution to the diet in the US accounts for 5.6%
of total energy.10 In Germany, 80% of men and 55% of
women drink alcohol regularly. In all, 55% of the adults
consume alcohol up to 10 g/day, and 28.5% consume 10–
40 g alcohol per day. Thus, alcohol consumption is widespread in the population and alcoholic beverages represent
part of the basic food supply.4
There is a contentious ongoing debate in the literature on
the effectiveness of energy derived from alcohol. In subjects
consuming substantial amounts of alcohol, adding ethanol
to the diet did not change body weight. In addition,
isocaloric substitution of carbohydrates with ethanol induced decrease of body weight.11 These observations led to
the assumption that energy from alcohol does not count for
energy balance. Consistent with this assumption, in two
large cross-sectional surveys moderate alcohol consumption
in women was associated with lower body weight compared
to women who do not drink, an association which was not
observed in men.12,13 However, in a prospective study of
men in British towns, BMI significantly increased with
alcohol intake14 and in consecutive cross-sectional surveys
over 15 y in Finland in men, BMI increased with increasing
International Journal of Obesity
White wine
alcohol consumption but decreased in women.15 In the
German National Health Survey, 1998, among males BMI
was not associated with moderate consumption of alcohol,
but in females alcohol drinkers had a lower BMI than
teetotalers.4 Colditz et al12 have shown that, both in men
and women, alcohol consumption increased total energy
intake. In men, the relation of increased energy intake with
alcohol intake was more pronounced than in women.
Despite increased energy intake, there was no weight gain
in men, and in women increasing amounts of alcohol intake
were associated with lower body weight. Thus, there is a
gender difference in the relation between daily alcohol
consumption and BMI. In men, there is no consistent
relation whereas in women moderate alcohol intake is
associated with lower body weight.
The underlying mechanisms through which alcohol
intake may influence body weight are not known. It has
been speculated that moderate alcohol intake increases
energy expenditure, in women more than in men.16 In
metabolic studies in healthy patients without heavy alcohol
consumption it has been shown that the body uses alcohol
energy efficiently. Using whole-body indirect calorimetry,
85% of alcohol energy is available as metabolizable energy.17
In addition, it has been reported that alcohol intake reduces
fat oxidation and favours a positive fat balance.18,19
Similarly, recent findings have shown that alcohol intake
induces no, or minimal, compensation by decreasing
Wine consumption and weight loss
M Flechtner-Mors et al
1425
nonalcohol food energy intake.20,21 Therefore, energy derived from alcohol intake represents extra calorie intake and
may be important for body weight control.
The prescribed diet in the present study included either
10% of energy derived from grape juice or 10% derived from
white wine. The energy content of both diets was isocaloric.
In accord with the low-energy content in both diets there
was a weight loss of 4.0 and 4.9% of initial body weight,
respectively. The thesis of the study, that moderate amounts
of white wine integrated in an energy-restricted diet regimen
do not impair the effectiveness of the energy-restricted diet,
is supported by the results.
The weight loss in the group of patients with alcohol
consumption even exceeded, though not significantly, that
in the group without alcohol. The reason for this difference
in weight loss, which may become greater with longer
duration of treatment, is not known. The physical activity
assessed by careful recall was similar in both groups of
patients. Additionally, there were no striking differences
between the groups in socioeconomic status, education, and
occupation. Furthermore, there were no reports from the
subjects indicating maldigestion, malabsorption or increased
sympathetic tone and associated tachycardia.
At the beginning of the study, the body weight in the
group of patients with white wine was 3.6 kg greater than in
the group of patients with grape juice. Calculating the
energy need22 subjects had a greater need of 0.38 MJ
(90 kcal)/day, which would add up to 33.9 MJ (8100 kcal)
within 3 months. Theoretically, the greater weight loss in
group WW of 0.98 kg could be explained by the difference in
energy need. But the WW subjects were on average 5.1 y
older and calculating the reduction of energy need with age,
the greater energy need with increasing body weight
approximately is neutralized. Therefore, the difference in
weight loss in the groups does not appear to be due to the
difference in initial body weight or age in years.
The energy derived from white wine (0.64 MJ [152 kcal]/
day) during the 90-days study summed up to 57.5 MJ
(13 738 kcal) and under the assumption that calories derived
from alcohol do not count, might explain to some extent the
surplus of weight loss. However, the missing effect of
alcohol-derived energy on energy balance has been described
only in patients with chronic alcohol abuse and liver
damage.11 The subjects in this study had no alcohol abuse
and no liver disease. Therefore, there is no reason to assume
that the calories from alcohol have been metabolized
without associated chemical energy production.
The 6.3 MJ/day (1500 kcal) dietary regimen theoretically
leads to an energy deficit of approximately 2.5 MJ/day
(600 kcal). Calculating the dietary induced achievable weight
loss on the basis of a daily energy deficit of 2.5 MJ (600 kcal),
the expected weight loss after 90 days would be approximately 6 kg. In both groups, the observed weight loss was
somewhat less than expected. This may be explained by the
fact that subjects were outpatients and the adherence to the
dietary prescriptions was probably lower than it would be
under strict metabolic-ward conditions. Nevertheless, the
subjects with white wine consumption were somewhat
closer to the theoretically achievable weight loss. One could
speculate that the wine drinkers had kept to the dietary
prescriptions more thoroughly than the subjects with grape
juice. However, an analysis of the diet diaries of the subjects
could not detect significant differences between the groups.
This is in accordance with previous reports that moderate
alcohol consumption exerts no inhibitory effect on macronutrient intakes.23,24
Subjects with type 2 diabetes or with the metabolic
syndrome commonly are overweight or obese and it may
reasonably be assumed that some of them are used to
moderate alcohol consumption. To reduce the metabolic
complications and the cardiovascular risk in these patients,
weight reduction is needed. Appropriate dietary guidelines
commonly will not allow alcoholic beverages. For this
reason, many of the subjects may fear prohibition and may
avoid dietary treatment, in particular long-term treatment.
Therefore, subjects with habitual moderate alcohol consumption should possibly be allowed to maintain their habit
to diminish their objections to a dietary regimen and to
improve compliance. The results of this study suggest that
one ought not to be concerned that moderate alcohol
consumption might impair the effectiveness of an energyrestricted diet or worsen the compliance.
In the absence of contraindications and in the context of
healthy eating and lifestyle, moderate consumption of white
wine may contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular
events and development of type 2 diabetes. This ought to
give rise to re-examination of dietary recommendations,
giving appropriate advice allowing alcoholic beverages
integrated in the diet. However, patients with a dietary
regimen with moderate amounts of wine included should
seriously and clearly be warned of the risk of overconsumption. Patients should be instructed carefully that the use of
alcohol should not be misinterpreted as a prescription for
weight reduction or for prevention of type 2 diabetes or
cardiovascular events. Also it would always be inappropriate
to recommend that nondrinkers commence drinking.
This study was done with white wine and overweight and
obese healthy subjects used to moderate alcohol consumption and the results may not be applicable to all alcoholic
beverages and to normal-weight subjects or subjects with
liver diseases, psychiatric diseases or the risk for alcohol
abuse. The number of subjects studied was small and the
duration of the study was 3-months. Therefore, the statistical
predictive power and ability to extrapolate from this study is
limited. There is clearly a need to investigate the long-term
effect of moderate alcohol consumption on weight loss and
weight maintenance with a greater number of subjects to
confirm and clarify our findings.
In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that
overweight and obese patients with moderate alcohol
consumption may be allowed to maintain their habit during
dietary treatment, if they choose. Moderate amounts of
International Journal of Obesity
Wine consumption and weight loss
M Flechtner-Mors et al
1426
white wine integrated into an energy-restricted diet regimen
should not impair the effectiveness of the diet and may be
helpful for weight management in some patients with
obesity.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Katja Huber, for her excellent
assistance with the collection of the data. We are grateful to
Eva Hauck who performed experimental work on measuring
the antioxidant status of the subjects. The study was
supported by grants from Deutsche Weinakademie GmbH
(D-55116 Mainz, www.deutscheweinakademie.de) and Forum Wein und Gesundheit (D-55758 Langweiler, www.weinund-gesundheit.de). None of the authors has any type of
remuneration from an interested party.
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