#16: Is Red Wine Good for You? The Industry Paid $67 Million to Make Sure You Say Yes

The idea that red wine protects your heart was built on a research flaw called abstainer bias, where former heavy drinkers in poor health were grouped with lifelong non-drinkers, making moderate drinkers look healthier by comparison. If you have ever poured a glass feeling like you were doing something good for yourself, you were following a story that was designed to feel true long after the science stopped supporting it. Kristin Horstman, certified Gray Area Drinking Coach and host of Sunsets Are the New Happy Hour, traces the full timeline from the 1988 research warning through the 1991 French Paradox segment to the 2018 NIH funding scandal that exposed alcohol industry influence on supposedly independent studies. She names the abstainer bias, the tobacco playbook the industry borrowed, and closes with the physiological sigh, a somatic breathing tool that gives your nervous system what wine only promised. This episode is for any sober curious woman who was told by a doctor, a parent, or a culture that wine was practically a health food. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (00:49) The 1991 French Paradox Segment (02:51) Abstainer Bias: The Hidden Flaw (05:20) The Alcohol Industry Gets Caught (07:22) The Tobacco Playbook for Wine (08:50) What the Real Evidence Says (09:47) Kristin's Personal Reckoning (11:02) The Physiological Sigh Has a doctor ever mentioned wine could be good for your heart? Drop a comment below. If you're ready to feel better, think clearer, and brighten your life, you're in the right place. SUBSCRIBE for new episodes every week. As always, I'm rooting for you. 🌅 WORK WITH KRISTIN HORSTMAN 1:1 Gray Area Drinking Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/gray-area-drinking-coaching Private Health Coaching: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/health-coaching FREE RESOURCES Substack: https://substack.com/@kristinhorstman Brighten Your Life Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/865785648653696 6 Tips To Brighten Your Life: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/6-tips-to-brighten-your-life Resources for Loved Ones of Those Struggling with Substance Use Disorder: https://www.kristinhorstman.com/resources CONNECT WITH KRISTIN HORSTMAN Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunsetsarethenewhappyhour Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachkristinhorstman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKristinHorstman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-horstman-43001280 Website: https://www.kristinhorstman.com AFFILIATES & DISCOUNT CODES Zero Proof Experiences: https://zeroproofexperiences.com/?aff=4 Bookshop.org storefront: https://bookshop.org/shop/kristinhorstman ARMRA: https://tryarmra.novel.com/login?referralCode=de9ddb1e-9f9d-4c8a-ba43-21a30abb552e Jolene Park NOURISH Coaching Program: https://healthydiscoveries.mykajabi.com/a/35865/ihLPoJPC Jolene Park Ultimate Sober Bundle: https://checkout.grayareadrinkers.com/ultimate-sober-af-bundle/?affiliate=kristinhorstman Cured Nutrition: https://curednutrition.com/collections/all?referral\_code=KRI2L0STF Loose Leaf Tea Market: https://looseleafteamarket.com?bg\_ref=nwruvHn7oD Use code TEAKRISTIN10 for 10% off (no minimum, enter at checkout) Some links above are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I genuinely love.