As part of the study the health of 224 patients with type two diabetes, the form linked to obesity, aged 45 to 75 and who generally abstained from alcohol.

Gradually introducing moderation wine consumption as part of a healthy diet platform, the study found that those who regularly had a drink with their evening meal had healthier hearts and lower cholesterol levels than those who drank mineral water or white wine instead.

Neither red nor white wine resulted in a change in blood pressure or liver function, however sleep quality was significantly improved in both wine groups compared with the water control group.

The study was carried out in collaboration with Prof. Meir Stampfer from Harvard University in the US, and colleagues from the University of Leipzig in Germany and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

Prof Iris Shai, of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, said:  “Red wine was found to be superior in improving overall metabolic profiles. Initiating moderate wine intake, especially red wine, among well-controlled diabetics, as part of a healthy diet, is apparently safe, and modestly decreases cardio-metabolic risk.

“The differential genetic effects that were found may assist in identifying diabetic patients in whom moderate wine consumption may induce greater clinical benefit.”

Researchers attributed the positive impact to the antioxidants found in red grapes called phenols, the most well-known being resveratrol.

Despite a vast catalogue of observational studies praising the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, in particular the antioxidant resveratrol, recommendations for its clinical application remain controversial due to a lack of long-term studies.

The study, entitled Effects of Initiating Moderate Alcohol Intake on Cardiometabolic Risk in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, and was funded by a grant from the European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD) of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).