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Numerous studies have looked into the health benefits of drinking red wine in moderation. These studies found that red wine can help stave off certain diseases and even help with heart disease survivors. Despite having several health benefits, obesity seems to trump them all. According to a new study done by researchers from Denmark's Aarhus University Hospital, being obese could cancel out the effects of red wine.

A specific compound known as resveratrol found in red wine, and some other foods as well, such as cocoa, has been linked to many health benefits. Resveratrol is an antioxidant that is found on the skins of red grapes. In this new study, the researchers looked at 24 obese men without any other health complications and found that resveratrol did not have any effects on their health. The study split the group of men into two and gave 12 of them high dosages of supplements containing the active compound. The other 12 men were given a placebo. The experiment lasted four weeks in which all participants were constantly checked for their insulin sensitivity, cholesterol, blood pressure, and resting energy expenditure. The researchers found that all four factors were not affected significantly in either group, which refuted previous research that the active compound could be beneficial to health.

The researchers concluded that for obese men at least, red wine might not be effective in maintaining diabetes, high blood pressure, and blood cholesterol. Since the study was done only on obese participants, the researchers could not conclude that red wine was ineffective for all people. Therefore, previous research and studies that concluded that red wine could yield health benefits is still reliable.

The study was published in Diabetes.