A new study is has researchers believing that drinking wine may help to reduce the risk of depression. This study was recently published in the journal BMC Medicine.
For the study, Spanish researchers analyzed data collected from 2,683 men and 2,822 women over a 7-year period. The trial was called the PREDIMED Trial, which looks at nutrition surrounding heart risks. Each of the participants were between the ages of 55 and 80 and had no previous history of depression or alcohol-related problems. The study monitored the patients’ alcohol intake, their lifestyle and mental health. What the researchers found was that the participants who drank moderate amounts of alcohol daily were less likely to be depressed.
However, the researchers also said that drinking more than seven glasses of wine per week was more likely to increase the risk of depression. Previous research from the same trial had already suggested that small amounts of alcohol consumed could help protect patients from heart disease, so the researchers believe that these results could be linked to one another.
“Unipolar depression and cardiovascular disease are likely to share some common pathophysiological mechanisms,” the study notes. “Moderate alcohol intake, especially alcohol from wine, has been repeatedly reported to be inversely associated with the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Some of the responsible mechanisms for this inverse association are likely to be involved also in a reduced risk of depression.”
Depression is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide. SSRIs are commonly used to treat depression but are linked to serious adverse effects. In fact, Paxil has been known to cause patients to suffer from violent and suicidal thoughts and behavior as well as lead to birth defects in babies born to mothers who take the pills while pregnant. The birth defects linked to Paxil use include PPHN, spina bifida, neural tube defects, oral clefts and heart, lung and brain defects.
