Cool, Now Wine (In Moderation) Can Help Ease Depression

Well, in a confusing week for wine drinkers (especially women), more research now says that wine has one very positive health effect — a decreased risk of depression. 

The latest research, published in BMC Medicine, followed 5,5000 "light to moderate" drinkers between the ages of 55 and 80, reports Science World Report. Over seven years, the researchers tracked the participants' alcohol consumption and mental health through yearly medical exams, questionnaires, and interviews with dietitians. And for this group of drinkers, the main beverage of choice was wine (no bourbon? no cocktails?). The researchers found that there was an inverse association between depression and wine. From the press release: "When analyzed, it was shown that those who drank moderate amounts of wine each week were less likely to suffer from depression. The lowest rates of depression were seen in the group of individuals who drank two to seven small glasses of wine  per week." 

Now, the researchers believe that wine and alcohol consumption could do for depression what it's done for coronary heart disease — protect against it. "In fact, it is believed that depression and coronary heart disease share some common disease mechanisms," said the senior author of the study, professor Miguel A. Martínez-González, from the University of Navarra in Spain. It all comes back to that handy resveratrol and phenolic compounds, which are said to have protective effects on the brain as well as the heart. So, when it comes to happiness, coffee and wine it is.