A recent study of 353 French Men, each of whom had suffered a heart attack, found that moderate consumption of wine may help lower the risk of a second attack or related complications. "We actually recommend drinking after a heart attack, but moderately and during meals as the Mediterranean people do.", said lead researcher Dr. Michel de Lorgeril, from Grenoble University in Lyon.

Over four years, 190 participants followed a Mediterranean-style diet and 163 followed a Western-style diet, which has higher overall in fat and cholesterol. The wine drinkers tended to be at lower risk for a second heart attack by as much as 59% for those who averaged two drinks per day compared with abstainers.

"The risk of complications was lower among those drinking wine, whatever the type of diet," said de Lorgeril.