Spanish female scientists leading the first research project on the relationship between moderate wine consumption and healthy aging
The project aims to contribute to improving the quality of life of the elderly population, and it is part of the grant call launched by FIVIN in collaboration with the Interprofessional Wine Organisation of Spain.
Scientists have been breaking glass ceilings for decades, and every day there are more female specialists in science and technology demonstrating the impact of their work on the science of nutrition, one of the most complex fields with significant societal implications. Throughout history, millions of women have contributed and continue to contribute anonymously to the development of this science, playing a fundamental role in the field of nutrition.
Nutritional research plays a pivotal role in unravelling the benefits and mechanisms of various foods and their components. Effective dissemination of research findings to the public is crucial; only well-informed consumers will be able to make correct purchasing and consumption decisions.
In recognition of International Women’s Day, FIVIN spotlighted the contributions of two Spanish scientists leading investigations about the effects of moderate wine consumption on health.
These studies were selected within the grant programme organised by the Foundation for Wine and Nutrition Research (FIVIN) under the auspices of the Interprofessional Wine Organisation of Spain-OIVE. The aim of this initiative is to promote scientific studies addressing the biological effects of moderate wine consumption within the context of a healthy diet. In the inaugural call, 20 proposals from universities and research centres across Spain were submitted.
Dr. Patricia Pérez from the La Rioja Biomedical Research Centre (CIBIR)-Fundación Rioja Salud, in collaboration with the Food Sciences Research Institute (CIAL)-CSIC and the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences (ICVV)-CSIC, is leading a study on moderate wine consumption included in the diet and its protective effect on the early phases of Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment, as a strategy to slow down or reverse cognitive decline. A work in which three more women with great scientific solvency and experts in different areas of knowledge that complement each other (food technology, chemistry, or health) participate, a fact that allows a clearly multidisciplinary approach. They are Dr. Victoria Moreno, Dr. Begoña Bartolomé, and Dr. M. José Motilva.
In parallel, Dr. Maria Pérez, from the Department of Nutrition, Food Sciences, and Gastronomy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, participates in a study focusing on evaluating the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of moderate wine consumption in men and women following a Mediterranean pattern. Dr. María Pérez affirms, as a female scientist “I am proud to have been given the opportunity to lead a study related to moderate wine consumption, a field in which women have traditionally had limited involvement. With this study, we aim to reinforce the existing scientific evidence on the physiological effects of moderate wine consumption on cardiovascular health, in the context of a balanced diet, representing substantial progress in nutritional research related to wine and health.”
