White wine: what two years of daily glasses did in adults with type 2 diabetes

In a 2-year randomized trial, 224 non-drinking adults with well-controlled type 2 diabetes on a Mediterranean diet were given 5.1 fl oz (150 ml) of water, white wine or red wine with dinner. Both wines improved fasting glucose, insulin resistance and HbA1c only in slow alcohol metabolizers, carriers of the ADH1B*1 allele, and the abstract gives no size for that gain. In 174 of the same people with carotid scans, plaque volume changed by -1.2 mm3 on white wine and -1.4 mm3 on water after 2 years (p = 0.9). These are results in people with diabetes, and they do not carry over to anyone else. The volunteers did not drink before the trial and their diabetes was well controlled, so the trial gives no reason to start drinking for blood sugar. People who take medicines for diabetes should talk to their doctor about alcohol, because we hold no card on how the two interact. A US survey glass of white wine weighs 6.3 oz (180 g) and holds about 18.5 g of alcohol, more than the 14 g in a US standard drink. The CDC states there is no known safe amount of alcohol in pregnancy, and it names white wine.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Dry white wine has about 75 calories, 10.3 g alcohol and 0.6 g sugar per 3.5 oz (100 g), while sweet white wine has 94 calories and 5.9 g sugar. — CoFID 17-755 Wine, white, dry; CoFID 17-233 Wine, white, sweet (n = -) Evidence E source
  Dry 75 calories, alcohol 10.3 g, sugars 0.6 g, potassium 61 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g); sweet 94 calories, alcohol 10.2 g, sugars 5.9 g per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• Ochratoxin A is found in over half of wines in some Mediterranean countries, with levels lowest in white wine and rarely above the EU limit of 2.0 ng/ml. — wine surveys worldwide (n = -) Evidence C source
  Detection above 50% in some countries; gradient red > rose > white

What a real portion looks like

• A US survey glass of white wine is 180 g, carrying about 148 calories and 18.5 g alcohol, and half a bottle carries 38.6 g alcohol. — FNDDS 93401020 Wine, white (fdc_id 2710689), US household measures (n = -) Evidence E source
  1 glass 180 g: 147.6 calories, alcohol 18.5 g, sugars 1.7 g; 1/2 bottle 375 g: 307.5 calories, alcohol 38.6 g
• A US standard drink holds about 14 g of pure alcohol, which is a 5-ounce glass of wine at 12 percent alcohol. — US adults (n = -) Evidence E source
  1 standard drink = about 14 g alcohol = 5 fl oz wine at 12% ABV
• Dutch adults pouring wine at home served 4.4 fl oz (129 ml) of white wine on average, about 30 percent more than the 3.4 fl oz (100 ml) standard glass. — 201 Dutch adults drinking wine or spirits at home weekly (n = 201) Evidence C source
  White wine 4.4 fl oz (129.4 ml) vs 3.4 fl oz (100 ml) standard

What your body absorbs

• In 33 adults, nonheme iron absorption from a meal was 2 to 3 times higher with low-polyphenol white wine than with red wine. — 33 human subjects, radioiron-labeled test meals (n = 33) Evidence C source
  Iron absorption 2-3 fold higher with white wine than red wine
• In 18 male smokers drinking wine for two weeks, white wine neither raised the urinary marker of wine phenolic absorption nor lowered lipid peroxidation, unlike dealcoholised red wine. — 18 male smokers, red wine, white wine or dealcoholised red wine for 2 weeks each, random order (n = 18) Evidence B source
  Urinary 4-O-methylgallic acid rose after red and dealcoholised red wine, not white; plasma F2-isoprostanes fell only with dealcoholised red wine

What it does to your health

• In 224 adults with type 2 diabetes given 5.1 fl oz (150 ml) wine with dinner for 2 years, both wines improved glucose control only in slow alcohol metabolizers. — 224 alcohol-abstaining adults with well-controlled type 2 diabetes, 5.1 fl oz (150 ml) water, white wine or red wine with dinner, 2 years, Mediterranean diet (n = 224) Evidence B source
  Glycemic benefit (fasting glucose, HOMA-IR, HbA1c) only in ADH1B*1 carriers; red wine HDL-C +1.9 mg/dL (95% CI 1.5 to 2.3; metric: 0.05 mmol/L, 0.04 to 0.06)
• Over 2 years, 5.1 fl oz (150 ml) of white wine a day did not change carotid plaque volume in adults with type 2 diabetes compared with water (-1.2 vs -1.4 mm3). — 174 of 224 CASCADE participants with type 2 diabetes with carotid images, 2 years (n = 174) Evidence B source
  Carotid TPV change white wine -1.2 (SD 16.9) mm3 vs water -1.4 (SD 17.0) mm3, p=0.9
• In 36 premenopausal women, a month of 8 fl oz (237 ml) white wine daily left free testosterone and LH lower and SHBG higher than a month of red wine. — 36 premenopausal women, 8 oz (237 mL) red then white wine daily for 1 month each, crossover (n = 36) Evidence C source
  Red vs white: free T +0.64 pg/mL, SHBG -5.0 nmol/L, LH +2.3 mIU/mL
• In the UK Biobank cohort of 502490 people followed about 12 years, champagne plus white wine intake showed a U-shaped link with death and chronic kidney disease. — 502,490 UK Biobank participants, median follow-up about 12 years (n = 502490) Evidence C source
  U-shaped association with all-cause mortality and CKD

Safety, limits and interactions

• The US alcohol institute (NIAAA) lists abnormally low blood sugar and a flushing reaction as possible reactions when alcohol, as in white wine, is mixed with diabetes medicines such as the sulfonylureas glipizide and glyburide. — People who drink alcohol while taking common prescription or over-the-counter medicines (n = -) Evidence E source
  Diabetes medicines (sulfonylureas, metformin) + alcohol: abnormally low blood sugar, flushing reaction
• In Belgian adults wine was the largest source of sulfites, and heavy wine drinkers reached about the acceptable daily intake. — Belgian adult population, national food consumption survey (n = -) Evidence C source
  Mean sulfite intake 0.19-0.34 mg/kg bw/day, 27-49% of ADI; high wine consumers near ADI

What people believe that the data does not support

• On a 1500 calories diet for 3 months, obese adults getting 10 percent of energy from white wine lost 10 lb (4.7 kg) vs 8.4 lb (3.8 kg) with grape juice, a non-significant difference. — 40 overweight and obese adults who habitually drank moderately, 3 months (n = 40) Evidence B source
  Weight loss 4.73 +/- 0.53 kg white wine vs 3.75 +/- 0.46 kg grape juice, no significant difference
• In 118 advanced cancer patients with poor appetite, white wine twice a day for 3-4 weeks did not improve appetite more than a nutrition drink (48 vs 37 percent, p=0.35). — 141 enrolled, 118 evaluable advanced cancer patients with appetite loss, 3-4 weeks (n = 118) Evidence B source
  Appetite improvement 48% wine vs 37% supplement, p=0.35; weight stability about 9% in both

Who this works differently for

• White wine is an alcoholic drink. CDC defines moderate drinking as two drinks or less in a day for men and one drink or less in a day for women, says people younger than 21 and people who are or might be pregnant should not drink at all, and states that even less than 1 drink per day can raise the risk of certain cancers. — adults of legal drinking age (21 or older), people younger than 21, pregnant people Evidence E source
  Moderate use: 2 drinks or less a day for men, 1 or less for women, under 1 drink a day can raise risk of certain cancers
• Of 24 asthmatics reporting wine-induced asthma, only 4 reacted to sulfite in wine, and only at 300 ppm, with no reaction at 20 to 150 ppm. — 24 asthmatic patients with a history of wine-induced asthma, double-blind sulfited wine challenge (n = 24) Evidence C source
  4 of 24 responders; FEV1 fall 28.7% at 300 ppm, none at 20, 75 or 150 ppm
• US health authorities state there is no known safe amount of alcohol in pregnancy, and white wine is no exception. — pregnant people (n = -) Evidence E source
  No safe amount; all alcohol types including white wine

What is still unknown

• Pooling 42 observational studies, wine type made no difference to overall cancer risk, but white wine was linked to 26 percent higher cancer risk in women. — 20 cohort and 22 case-control studies, 95,923 cancer cases (n = 95923) Evidence C source
  Overall white RR 1.00 (0.91-1.10); women white RR 1.26 (1.05-1.52) vs red 0.91; cohort-only white RR 1.12 (1.03-1.22)

The bottom line

UK food tables give dry white wine about 75 calories, 10.3 g alcohol and 0.6 g sugar per 3.5 oz (100 g), and sweet white wine 94 calories and 5.9 g sugar. Pours run large. Dutch adults measuring their usual pour at home served 4.4 fl oz (129 ml) of white wine on average, against a 3.4 fl oz (100 ml) standard glass. White wine is low in polyphenols, and that shows in two older studies. In 33 adults in a non-randomized 1995 study, iron absorption from a meal was 2 to 3 times higher with white wine than with red. In 18 male smokers drinking each wine for two weeks, white wine did not raise the urinary marker of wine phenolic uptake, and the lipid peroxidation marker fell only with dealcoholised red wine. Some hopes did not hold up. On a 1500 calories diet for 3 months, 40 overweight and obese adults used to moderate drinking lost 10 lb (4.73 kg) when 10 percent of energy came from white wine and 8.3 lb (3.75 kg) with grape juice, with no significant difference. In 118 advanced cancer patients with poor appetite, white wine twice a day for 3 to 4 weeks helped appetite in 48 percent against 37 percent on a nutrition drink (p = 0.35), in an open trial with a self-reported outcome. In a non-randomized pilot crossover in 36 premenopausal women, who drank red wine first and white wine second, a month of red wine left free testosterone 0.64 pg/mL higher and SHBG 5.0 nmol/L lower than a month of white wine. These are hormone levels, not cancer risk. Pooling 42 observational studies, white wine showed no link with overall cancer risk (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.10), though in the cohort studies alone it was linked to a 12 percent higher risk (RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.22). In women it was linked to a 26 percent higher risk (RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.52), and no trial exists to test that. In the UK Biobank, 502490 people followed about 12 years, self-reported white wine and champagne, counted together, showed a U-shaped link with death and chronic kidney disease. U-curves like this are prone to the sick quitter effect, where former drinkers who stopped for health reasons sit in the abstainer group. Who should be careful. In pregnancy there is no known safe amount. Of 24 asthmatics who blamed wine for their asthma, 4 reacted to sulfite in a double-blind challenge, and only at 300 ppm, where lung function fell 28.7 percent. None of the 4 reacted at 20, 75 or 150 ppm. In Belgium wine was the largest source of sulfites, and heavy wine drinkers came close to the acceptable daily intake. A 2007 review found ochratoxin A in over half of wines in some Mediterranean countries, lowest in white wine and rarely above the EU limit of 2.0 ng/ml. We have no card on white wine and medicines, diabetes medicines included, and no card giving a daily upper limit for alcohol. That gap is no sign of safety, and anyone on medicines for diabetes should ask their doctor before drinking wine.

Compared with other foods

Sources

1. wwn-r4-01 · reference dataset
   CoFID 17-755 Wine, white, dry: Energy 75 kcal, Alcohol 10.3 g, Total sugars 0.6 g, Potassium 61 mg per 100 g; CoFID 17-233 Wine, white, sweet: Energy 94 kcal, Alcohol 10.2 g, Total sugars 5.9 g per 100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, codes 17-755 and 17-233 · checked 2026-09-29
2. wwn-r4-16 · occurrence review
   The proportion of wines in which OTA is detected is very high (above 50%) in some countries (especially in the Mediterranean basin) although only a few wines contained concentrations exceeding the MAL laid down by the EU (2.0 ng/ml). A gradient of concentration is usually recognized; OTA levels decrease in the order red, rose, and white wine but also with increasing latitude of the producing countries.
   Int J Food Microbiol, 2007 · checked 2026-09-29
3. wwn-r4-02 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2710689 Wine, white: Energy 82 kcal/100 g, 1 glass 180 g 147.6 kcal, 1/2 bottle 375 g 307.5 kcal · Alcohol, ethyl 10.3 g/100 g, 1 glass 18.5 g, 1/2 bottle 38.6 g · Total Sugars 0.96 g/100 g, 1 glass 1.7 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 93401020 · checked 2026-09-29
4. wwn-r4-03 · agency guidance
   In the United States, one standard drink contains about 14 grams, or about 0.6 fluid ounces, of pure alcohol. ... A 5-ounce glass of wine at 12% alcohol by volume
   NIAAA, What Is A Standard Drink? · checked 2026-09-29
5. wwn-r4-04 · observational
   Participants poured on average 129·4 ml white wine and 131·7 ml red wine, which is significantly more than the standard of 100 ml.
   Public Health Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
6. wwn-r4-05 · controlled trial
   In four separate studies we observed that absorption was 2- to 3-fold higher from white wine containing a low concentration of polyphenols than from two red wines containing a 10-fold higher concentration of polyphenols.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1995 · checked 2026-09-29
7. wwn-r4-06 · randomized trial
   Eighteen male smokers consumed, in random order, red wine, white wine, or dealcoholized red wine, for two weeks with one week washout between beverages. ... Plasma F2-isoprostanes (p < .05) decreased significantly with dealcoholized red wine but not with the alcohol-containing beverages. ... Urinary excretion of 4-O-methylgallic acid increased significantly (p < .001) in the 24 h urine samples following red wine or dealcoholized red wine ingestion, but not with white wine.
   Free Radic Biol Med, 2001 · checked 2026-09-29
8. wwn-r4-07 · RCT
   Patients were randomly assigned to 150 mL of mineral water, white wine, or red wine with dinner for 2 years. ... Only slow ethanol metabolizers (alcohol dehydrogenase alleles [ADH1B*1] carriers) significantly benefited from the effect of both wines on glycemic control (fasting plasma glucose, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, and hemoglobin A1c) compared with fast ethanol metabolizers (persons homozygous for ADH1B*2).
   Ann Intern Med, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29
9. wwn-r4-08 · RCT
   After 2 years, no significant progression in carotid-TPV was observed (water, -1.4 (17.0) mm3, CI (-2.7, 5.5), white-wine, -1.2 (16.9) mm3, CI (-3.8, 6.2), red wine, -1.3 (17.6) mm3, CI (-3.4, 6.0; p = 0.9 between groups)).
   Eur J Clin Nutr, 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
10. wwn-r4-11 · non-randomized crossover trial
    Red wine demonstrated higher free T vs. white wine (mean difference 0.64 pg/mL [0.2 SE], p=0.009) and lower SHBG (mean difference -5.0 nmol/L [1.9 SE], p=0.007).
    J Womens Health (Larchmt), 2012 · checked 2026-09-29
11. wwn-r4-12 · cohort
    Upon further classification of alcoholic beverages, our analysis revealed that red wine, champagne plus white wine, beer, spirits, and fortified wine presented a U-shaped relationship with the risk of all-cause mortality and CKD.
    Medicine (Baltimore), 2024 · checked 2026-09-29
12. sf-alcmed-r5-6 · agency advice
    Abnormally low blood sugar levels, flushing reaction (nausea, vomiting, headache, rapid heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure); symptoms of nausea and weakness may occur (metformin)
    NIAAA, Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol with Medicines (brochure, revised 2014) · checked 2026-10-08
13. wwn-r4-15 · exposure assessment
    The food group contributing most to the intake of sulfites was wines. The results showed that the intake of sulfites is likely to be below the ADI in Belgium. However, there are indications that high consumers of wine have an intake around the ADI.
    Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess, 2010 · checked 2026-09-29
14. wwn-r4-09 · RCT
    Weight loss in the grape juice group and white wine group was 3.75+/-0.46 and 4.73+/-0.53 kg, respectively. ... There were no significant differences between the groups.
    Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord, 2004 · checked 2026-09-29
15. wwn-r4-10 · RCT
    Twenty-eight patients (48 %) in the wine arm reported an improvement in appetite at some point during the treatment period, whereas 22 patients (37 %) assigned to the nutritional supplement arm also reported improvement (p = 0.35).
    Support Care Cancer, 2016 · checked 2026-09-29
16. sf-alclim-r1-whitewine-1 · agency advice
    The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults of legal drinking age (21 or older) should not drink alcohol or drink in moderation if they choose to drink alcohol...Moderate alcohol use is: For men—two drinks or less in a day. For women—one drink or less in a day...You shouldn't drink at all, even in moderation, if you: Are younger than 21. Are pregnant or might be pregnant...Even low levels of alcohol use (less than 1 drink per day) can raise the risk of certain cancers.
    CDC, About Moderate Alcohol Use · checked 2026-10-08
17. wwn-r4-14 · provocation study
    Four of the 24 self-reporting wine sensitive asthmatic patients were found to respond to sulfite additives in wine when challenged in a single dose fashion (study 1). In the double blind dose-response study all four had a significant fall in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1)) (>15% from baseline) following exposure to wine containing 300 ppm sulfite, but did not respond to wines containing 20, 75 or 150 ppm sulfite.
    Thorax, 2001 · checked 2026-09-29
18. wwn-r4-17 · agency guidance
    There is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy. ... All types of alcohol can be harmful, including red or white wine, beer, and liquor.
    CDC, About Alcohol Use During Pregnancy, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
19. wwn-r4-13 · meta-analysis of observational studies
    However, white wine intake was significantly associated with an increased risk of cancer among women (white: 1.26 [1.05, 1.52], red: 0.91 [95% CI: 0.72, 1.16], Pdifference = 0.03).
    Nutrients, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29