Drinking alcohol-free wine improves heart health as much as consuming modest amounts of normal wine, new research suggests. 

A series of studies showed an “undeniable protective beneficial relationship” between heart disease and both red and white wine.

However, the link was seen only with coronary heart disease and not for other cardiovascular illnesses and the relationship was also evident with alcohol-free wine.

It suggests the benefits are thanks to the polyphenols in the wine rather than the alcohol,” said Dr Rudolph Schutte of Anglia Ruskin University in a report by The Times.

Polyphenols are a compound found in wine, especially in red wine.

They have been linked to lower blood pressure levels and healthier blood vessels and may also reduce chronic inflammation. 

High blood pressure and chronic inflammation are risk factors for heart disease.

The research looked at nearly 450,000 people who had signed up to the UK Biobank project and whose health and lifestyle was tracked for an average of seven years each.

Those who drank between one and 14 units of alcohol a week — had about a 40 per cent reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease, compared with the average across the entire group.

Drinking a moderate amount of beer, wine and spirits was linked to a 10% increased risk.

Schutte believes previous studies suggesting moderate amounts of alcohol are beneficial are “flawed”.

Research looking at alcohol and health have suggested health risks are lower for moderate drinkers than for teetotallers and heavy drinkers.

However, he said the non-drinking group would contain those who abstain due to health conditions, making them surprisingly ‘high risk’. 

He said the benefits of drinking wine also masked the overall risks of drinking alcohol and said he would be in favour of a new bottle labelling system stating there are no safe levels.