SPECIALIZED DOCTORS WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE INFORMATION AND STUDIES THAT CHAMPION THE ADVANTAGES OF MODERATE CONSUMPTION OF WINE, EVEN AS OPPOSED TO TEETOTALISM

The Manager of the General Hospital of Ciudad Real, Jesús Fernández Sanz, will be coordinating the round table on 'Wine and Health' at FENAVIN, at which the message that is to be put forward will be the numerous healthy effects of enjoying wine in adequate amounts

Doctors specialized in cardiology, digestive system, endocrinology, psychiatry and rheumatology will be making known the tremendous benefits that wine, as a food product and in adequate amounts, can have on our health, the same at the National Trade Fair on Wine that will be taking place from May 10th to the 12th.

During the second round table on 'Wine and Health' that FENAVIN will be hosting, on this occasion organized by the General Hospital of Ciudad Real and sponsored by the Tierra de Viñedos Foundation, a series of new medical work lines with very interesting contributions will be introduced, as is the case of psychiatry, for example. The Ciudad Real hospital's Manager, Jesús Fernández Sanz, will be in charge of coordinating the round table-chat that will take place on May 11th at 12:00 p.m. in Lecture Hall 4, at which a general overview of those specialties that are more highly related with wine will be given, covering the nutritional point of view, as well as cardio-healthy aspects and the consideration of wine as a food product throughout one's life or its use as a substance.

FENAVIN's President, Nemesio de Lara, highlighted the importance of this activity, which had already been programmed in a previous edition, indicating that "pairing or the coming together of wine and health is the best possible marketing that could be made for this product." He is also absolutely certain that this second round table on health will be a roaring success with its new and interesting medical contributions.

During this forum the specialists will be recommending that wine be included as a food product in our diets, "health is a constant concern for people, and the citizen is desirous of knowing that wine is good for us, hence the fact that these medical professionals are talking about the benefits of this product does indeed awaken interest," Fernández commented.

Jesús Fernández considers that we should insist more on transmitting the idea that wine is a food product, as is the case with olive oil, for example. In this regard he feels that there should be a greater connection between the associations of Maitre'ds, gourmets, tasters, etc. and the medical profession, "as it would be quite productive if we are taken into account", reason why he is particularly appreciative of FENAVIN's involvement and commitment to the cause.

Eduardo Rodríguez Sánchez, digestology specialist, will be in charge of taking the first turn at the medical forum that is to be held, guiding the audience towards the idea that wine is a food product that forms part of the Mediterranean diet and that it is tremendously pleasurable, reason why we must not deny ourselves this enjoyment, "but always in moderation so that it will truly be useful and beneficial."

In this respect he also indicated that it is scientifically proven that the limits of alcohol tolerance stand between 35 and 40 grams of alcohol per day for men and 25-30 grams for women. A liter of wine with a 12º alcohol content, Rodríguez Sánchez explained, reaches 100 or 120 grams of alcohol, "therefore, the limit would be at about 200-250 cubic centimeters of wine, which is no more than three glasses of wine a day." The specialist also underlined that wine has a lower concentration of alcohol than other alcoholic drinks and that it is produced through fermentation and not by way of distillation.

Hence the digestology specialist pointed out that there is no problem whatsoever in consuming wine on a daily basis in the recommended amounts, clarifying that "it is not a medicine, but in fact a beneficial food product as long as it is consumed in moderation, like all things in life."

Cardiovascular Benefits

On his part the cardiologist, Ignacio Sánchez, will also be providing the conclusions obtained from the experimental studies in which it is possible to visualize that cardiovascular risks can be reduced with moderate consumption of wine, that is, two or three glasses of wine a day for men and one or two glasses of wine a day for women, all this depending on each person's individual metabolism. Wine, in particular red wine, he explained, has a series of antioxidant effects that reduce bad cholesterol, avoiding advancement of arteriosclerosis and reducing the risk of generalized atheromatosis at a vascular level.

Despite the fact that conclusive research is still not sufficient, "it is clearly known that wine consumed in small doses or moderate consumption of wine is beneficial for cardiovascular health." He also reminded us that many of the world's universities are carrying out biochemical research on the real effects of wine, with Spain holding a leading position in this regard, amongst which the University of Granada is to be highlighted as one of the leading research units, along with universities in the northern part of Spain and in Castilla-La Mancha.

The endocrinologist Miguel Aguirre will be talking about the nutritional and metabolic properties of wine, indicating that some of wine's phenolic components are beneficial in that pertaining to good cholesterol, reducing the risk of coagulation and avoiding thrombotic diseases.

However, the Head of Endocrinology of the Ciudad Real Hospital took the matter even further by pointing out that in as far as health is concerned, moderate consumption is even better than being a teetotaler. The scientific magazine British Medical Journal includes a series of different quality studies in which the beneficial effects of the product are outlined, as is the case with an increase of good cholesterol and a reduction of adipose fat deposits.

The optimal consumption of wine varies depending on the person's age and sex. "Women have a lower tolerance to alcohol, with a greater fat mass and less body water, which in turn makes them more sensitive to the degrees of alcohol, as is also the case with the elderly."

Genetic predisposition

Quite rarely do we have the opportunity to obtain a psychiatrist's point of view on wine. This year FENAVIN has invited the Psychiatrist and Head of Eating Disorders of the Ciudad Real Hospital, Luis Beato, to the round table on 'Wine and Health', at which the specialist will be pointing out the importance of this product in as far as making the individual feel better and to improve relationships, "as enjoying a glass of wine with a good meal in the company of friends or family makes us feel good."

He will also be commenting on the medical repercussions of wine as an addiction in some persons, warning that it is not the substance that creates the addiction, but in fact the person's prior genetic disposition; "the problem resides in the addict, not in the substance itself; in a person who is addicted to physical exercise, the compulsive behavior resides in the person, not in the exercise." Hence, Beato indicated, "there is no need to demonize certain things, but quite the contrary, they should be profited but in their fair measure."

The Rheumatologist Javier Paulino Tévar will also be intervening in the event that "pairs wine and health", covering the benefits that wine, in small doses, can have on elderly persons who suffer osteoarthritis. He mentioned a study made in France on the paradoxical effect of the diet of the French and the Americans, observing a lower rate of heart attacks and vascular episodes in the first, the same being due to consumption of wine and other food products such as foie.

In the opinion of Javier Paulino, who already participated in the first forum on 'Wine and Health', it is essential that we instill a love for wine in the younger generation, as has been done in the Rioja region, "as it is a safer and less harmful product than any other type of drink that they partake of during their binge drinking parties," he indicated.

"FENAVIN is spectacular and it always manages to surprise me"

To finish off, Jesús Fernández Sanz considers that FENAVIN is a spectacular trade fair, the most important event to take place in Ciudad Real and Castilla-La Mancha in the last few years, "and it always manages to surprise me and, I am certain that this is the case with other people; it is overcoming barriers and making Ciudad Real known from another point of view," he affirmed. The idea that the hospital manager has is to be able to continue holding this important forum on 'Wine and Health' at FENAVIN, although promoting international participation even more, without of course forgetting the local perspective.