Claims Regarding the Benefits of Red Wine Called into Question

In the past, I've written about the myth that alcohol is good for you. The idea that a drug as toxic as alcohol could be beneficial just didn't ring true. But even I did not anticipate the extent to which the positive effects of red wine may, in fact, be false.

After all, if medical marijuana could contain derivatives that assist with conditions such as chronic pain, why shouldn't the skin of red grapes contain a substance, resveratrol, that helps prevent heart disease?

The benefits of red wine were, it seems, a little too good to be true. A University of Connecticut investigation has revealed that on some 145 occasions, over seven years, data regarding the health benefits of red wine were fabricated or falsified.

This has been tied to just one researcher, who has obviously had a huge influence on the field. We don't know which data were falsified, or whether there are any legitimate studies showing the benefits of red wine, either from that researcher, or from elsewhere. But for now, my best advice is to control your drinking, and if not quit entirely.