Wine drinkers eat more olives, fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy products, poultry, and lean cuts of meat, while beer drinkers eat more pre-cooked packaged foods, sugar, chips, soft-drinks, cold cuts, sausages, and fattier cuts of meat, according to a recent study.

Shopping Habits Studied

Food and alcohol shopping habits were investigated by a team from the National Institute of Public Health in Denmark. Researchers analyzed 3.5 million transactions, chosen at random from ninety-eight outlets of two major Danish supermarket chains over a six month period. They evaluated the link between the purchase of beer and wine and various food items.

Customers were categorized as “wine only,” “beer only,” “mixed,” or “non-alcohol” buyers. Details of items bought, the number and price of the items, and the total charge for each customer’s transaction were recorded.

Wine Buyers Purchase Healthier Foods

The results indicate that people who buy, and presumably drink wine purchase a greater number of healthy food items than those who buy beer, according to the authors. Wine buyers purchased more fresh, low-fat foods, while beer buyers bought more processed, high-fat foods.

The study results also support findings from the United States and France that indicate wine drinkers tend to eat more fruit, vegetables, and fish, and less saturated fat than persons who prefer other alcoholic drinks.

The health benefits of drinking wine may be due to a combination of specific substances in wine and different characteristics of people, researchers add. Thus, it is crucial that studies on the relation between alcohol intake and mortality adjust for other lifestyle factors besides eating habits, including drinking patterns, smoking, physical activity, education, and income.