The French Paradox and Wine Drinking

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Abstract
Despite a high level of risk factors such as cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension and a high intake of saturated fat, French males display the lowest mortality rate from ischaemic heart disease and cardiovascular diseases in Western industrialized nations (36% lower than the USA and 39% lower than the UK). By contrast, mortality from all causes is only 8% lower than in the USA and 6% than in the UK, owing to a high level of cancer and violent deaths. In a recent study of 34000 middle‐aged men from Eastern France with a follow‐up of 12 years we have observed that for 48 g of alcohol (mostly wine) per day as the mean intake, mortality from cardiovascular diseases was lower by 30%, all‐cause mortality was reduced by 20%, but mortality by cancer and violent death was increased compared with abstainers. Thus the so‐called ‘French Paradox’ (a low mortality rate specifically from cardiovascular diseases) may be due mainly to the regular consumption of wine.