I am happiest when I am crying
very vigorously to higher levels of sulphites in the white wine.”
To combat redness he suggests using topical creams such as Acclenz blemish serum (£49, drnicklowe.com) or the antibiotic Metronidazole (also known as Rozex gel), combined with targeted laser treatments to reduce blood flow to skin. There is also a chance, he says, that consuming too much white wine encourages the growth of a tiny skin mite called Demodex folliculorum, known to exacerbate rosacea.
Weight gain
The charity Drink Aware likens wine to our favourite junk food treats in an attempt to show how calorific it is. One 175ml glass contains 160 calories, similar to a slice of Madeira cake. A large glass (250ml) with 228 calories is the equivalent of an ice cream cone. While a bottle equals two chocolate croissants, or 680 calories. Light, sweeter whites such as pinot grigio and riesling have fewer calories than drier white, with higher ABVS, such as sauvignon blanc and chardonnay.
One study in 2014 showed that regular wine drinkers consume an excess of 2,000 liquid calories a month, with alcohol contributing to around 10 per cent of their total calorie count. Drink Aware says “alcohol reduces the amount of fat your body burns for energy. While we can store nutrients, protein, carbohydrates, and fat in our bodies, we can’t store alcohol. So our systems want to get rid of it, and doing so takes priority. All the other processes that should be taking place [including absorbing nutrients and burning fat] are interrupted.”
Liver disease
Andrew Langford, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, says there has been a 400 per cent increase in liver disease over the past 30 years, and places some blame on the calorific quality of white wine. “Consuming too many calories has an unhealthy effect on the liver, causing fatty deposits and liver disease.
“Working women who go out for a couple of drinks with colleagues and then have a couple more because they believe it helps them sleep – a complete fallacy – are particularly at risk.
“We campaign for clearer labelling on alcohol products. Bottles of white wine should say not only how many alcohol units, but also how many calories are in there.”
The British Liver Trust has a “Love Your Liver” online health scanner, where users can answer questions to see how at-risk they are of developing liver disease.
Skin cancer
A study by Brown University, published in 2016, found that white wine lovers have a 13 per cent higher risk of developing the skin cancer melanoma, compared to drinkers of other types of alcohol. While little research has been done to explain these findings, one theory puts the discrepancy down to a compound in alcohol called acetaldehyde. This can damage our DNA and prevent its repair, and research has shown high levels of it in wine. And while red varieties contain antioxidants, which are thought to mitigate the effects, white does not have the same qualities.
Dr Lowe says: “It is possible there is a link but it is much more complicated than we think.” He believes other lifestyle factors typically associated with drinking – increased time spent outdoors, a suppressed immune system, poor diet and smoking – may notch up the risk.
Depression
One buzzword when it comes to wine is sulphites. These are naturally present compounds on grapes but have also been added to wine for hundreds of years as a preservative, thanks to their antioxidant and antibacterial properties.
Most modern wines typically have 20 to 200 parts per million (PPM) and anything containing more than 10 PPM must say so on the label. Anecdotally, sulphites have been linked to “drinking blues” and depression, as well as allergies, asthma, bad dreams and headaches. Sweet white wines typically contain the most sulphites, as more are added to halt the fermentation process. Another reason why a night on the white might make that hangover worse than usual.