The French Paradox - Revisited

You may be familiar with the concept of the French Paradox, especially if you are among those who appreciate wine and are fairly knowledgeable about it. The paradox─which generally means something that is the opposite of what it should be─refers to the irony that the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans, despite having a diet far high in saturated fats.

In fact, data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) indicates that the French actually eat four times as much butter, 60% more cheese, and nearly three times as much pork as Americans.

The term French Paradox was coined in 1992 by Dr. Serge Renaud─a scientist from Bordeaux University in France─after he completed his study of French men observing that their incidence of heart disease was only 40% of that experienced by American men.

Dr. Renaud determined that moderate, daily wine consumption appeared to be the "key" to the Paradox, with his study finding that 2-3 glasses of wine per day wine reduced male death rates from all diseases by up to 30%.(1) Many other studies have provided strong evidence linking moderate alcohol consumption with a reduced risk of heart disease, which is still the leading cause of death for Americans.(2-7) In fact, drinking alcohol in moderation appears to reduce mortality from all causes by 30-50%.(8)

When 60 Minutes broadcast the French Paradox hypotheses in 1991, which was explained by both Dr. Renaud and Dr. R. Curtis Ellison of Boston University School of Medicine, the concept became an international phenomenon. Perhaps it’s no surprise that American wine consumption increased by over 40 percent as a result, which surely caused chuckles around French dinner tables.

What bears noting is that although these breakthroughs occurred decades ago, evidence has been mounting ever since to support the hypotheses that wine promotes a healthy heart, among other benefits. The bottom line? Enjoying wine in moderation in the context of whole foods, plant-based diet is arguably quite compatible with a healthy lifestyle.

References:

1 The Lancet, Volume 355, Issue 9197, Pages 48 - 48 B

2 Age Ageing. 2009 Mar;38(2):206-12. Epub 2009 Jan 7

3 BMJ. 1996 Mar 23;312(7033):731-6

4 BMJ. 1996 Aug 10;313(7053):365

5 ACP J Club. 1996 Sep-Oct;125(2):50-1

6 BMJ. 1996 Aug 10;313(7053):365-6

7 BMJ. 1996 Dec 14;313(7071):1555; author reply 1555-6.

8 BMJ Vol310May1995