DO YOU DRINK THREE TIMES A WEEK? SPAIN LAUNCHES 4-YEAR STUDY SEEKING 10,000 VOLUNTEERS; CHECK ELIGIBILITY AND BENEFITS
In a unique and ambitious initiative, researchers at the University of Navarra in Spain are calling for 10,000 volunteers to drink wine regularly over a span of four years. The study aims to explore the long-debated health impacts of moderate alcohol consumption, specifically whether it's riskier than total sobriety when it comes to diseases like cancer, dementia, and heart ailments.
The research project, named the University of Navarra Alumni Trialist Initiative (UNATI), is being funded by the European Research Council under its ERC Advanced Grant program. It will be led by the Department of Preventive Medicine at the university, in collaboration with the College of Nursing of Navarra and various trained healthcare professionals.
Who Can Participate?
The study seeks to enrol men aged 50–70 and women aged 55–75 who currently drink at least three alcoholic beverages per week. So far, 4,000 people have already signed up, but researchers are aiming to reach the 10,000 mark by June 2025. Interested individuals can apply through the project’s official website by filling out a detailed health and lifestyle questionnaire.
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What Will Participants Do?
Once selected, participants will be asked to engage in three key ways:
- Quarterly video calls with health coaches
- Responding to email questionnaires throughout the study
- Completing an annual medical check-up to ensure scientific rigour and accurate data collection
Inspired by Mediterranean Diet Research
The inspiration for this new research stems from a prior study called PREDIMED, also led by Professor Martinez-Gonzalez, which explored the cardiovascular benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. He emphasised the challenge of conducting dietary studies due to confounding factors and the need for long-term tracking, stating, “You need many years of following up thousands of participants.”
This new wine-focused study aims to settle an ongoing debate in medical and public health circles: Is moderate alcohol consumption actually healthy, or just a socially accepted risk? The answer could have significant implications for public health guidelines and personal habits worldwide. The researchers hope to provide concrete, evidence-based insights into whether drinking wine in moderation offers real health benefits or whether it's a myth backed more by culture than by science.
