I am French/Italian and of course, I’ve always heard about the “French paradox”. I’ve also lived in the USA and many people would ask me why were I so thin and healthy while eating butter, bread, croissants, and cheese. Then, I got 4 kids but still were in shape and people would wonder even more and ask me why French women don’t gain much weight even after having kids. So, is it really because of the “French paradox”?
I am glad I have decided to do some research about this subject because what I found out really surprised me!
What is the “French paradox”?
In the 1980s, 3 French scientists wrote an article about the connection between fat consumption and heart disease, questioning and underlining the paradox that though French people’s diet is high in saturated fats, they have lower heart attack incidents. These scientists were only making some observations.
Since it is proven that intake of too much-saturated fat causes coronary heart disease, some research was then done on the French diet to try to uncover the mystery behind this paradox.
One of the French culture’s specifics is its higher wine consumption than any other country in the world.
Some started thinking that maybe drinking red wine protected the French from getting heart attacks.
The actual term “French paradox” appeared in 1986 in a letter from the OIV, the International Organization of Vine and Wine. In this letter, it isn’t clearly stated that wine is healthy but it is implied by comparing the rich French diet in saturated fats and wine consumption with the modern American dietary habits and the Anglo-Saxon’s poor health results.
In 1989, George Riley Kernodle, a drama teacher at the University of Arkansas used the expression “French Paradox” in a chapter of his book entitled “The Theater in History”. He explains that wine may be healthy because it is packed with antioxidants, the polyphenols.
In 1991, the French physician-scientist, Serge Renaud (a winemaker’s grandson) presented his scientific research conclusions in “60 Minutes”, a CBS news TV show. He asserts that thanks to the moderate daily drinking of red wine (2 to 3 glasses), statistically, the French’s risk of getting coronary heart disease is 3.5 lower than the Americans. The “French Paradox” enigma appears to be solved.
This widespread media coverage and launch of the “French Paradox” had a huge impact and since 1992, Red wine consumption and sales increased by 39% in the USA, according to the Wine Spectator lifestyle magazine.
The success is immediate! It’s such good news. A fatty diet + wine = good health! It is so comforting psychologically to drinkers. Alcohol is not so bad for you after all. It also has health properties. It’s rich in antioxidants.
It also is great news for the wine lobby’s business interests. From there on, it launched a marketing communication campaign, proudly shouting out that red wine, rich in antioxidants, prevents cardiovascular disease.
French cuisine
Yes, the French eat a lot of fatty foods. Our traditional cuisine is soaked in butter and cream-based sauces such as the famous “béchamel”.
We eat cheese in a delicious baguette. 1200 types of cheeses are listed and many more are not…
There is a bakery shop in every village, selling a rich variety of bread, butter-based pastries, and cakes.
Yes, we love wine. It is one of our cultural markers. The French vineyards produce 3240 different wines.
Let’s not forget the endless choice of salamis and delicatessens.
HOWEVER
We also eat a lot of different types of vegetables and fish. When you go to the market, the fish and vegetable variety is impressive!
The truth about the French paradox
Even though the wine lobby’s business strategy continued to prosper, scientists kept on questioning whether red wine was really the answer to the “French paradox” phenomenon. Thorough studies and discoveries, especially about antioxidants strongly contradict such belief.
Most polyphenols present in wines such as resveratrol (a powerful protective antioxidant) don’t cross the intestinal lining and thus are not passed into the bloodstream. That means that in order for you to reap the health benefits from the resveratrol, you would have to drink a considerable amount of wine. NOT recommended!
Furthermore, in 2009, Pierre Ducimetière, one of the 3 French scientists that in the 80s had written an article about fat intake and heart disease, published a new article in which he revealed that not all the deaths related to coronary heart disease were declared! The statistics were not trustworthy.
He also mentions that there are more deaths in northern France than in the South. Simply because in the north, that’s where more saturated fats are consumed. The death rate in Northern France is equal to Belgium’s.
In fact, in Southern France, the diet is Mediterranean like in Italy or Spain. We cook much more with olive oil rather than butter.
He concludes that there is no such thing as a “French exception” or “French Paradox” and that such statements should disappear from all scientific literature. This belief is a threat to the public health.
It’s a myth. Now what?
Like any news, if it’s too good to be true, it is fake news! The French do die from too much consumption of saturated fats and drink too much alcohol. Alcohol kills too many people, too soon. I am not saying that we shouldn’t drink alcohol at all. We should be careful and drink moderately.
Finally, all this puzzlement about the French lifestyle was not a waste of time. The scientific studies led to make important discoveries concerning antioxidants and their health benefits.
I am curious to know your thoughts. Did you hear about the French Paradox? Please leave a comment below and share your opinion.
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I was curious. I had no idea what the French Paradox was so I read this. Now that it is explained, I have heard that a lot of cultures don’t have the heart disease rate that we Americans do and that there were a ton of theories why! I have even heard that moderate wine consumption might actually be healthy! I did figure that it wasn’t just because of wine and more because of statistics being inaccurate until a closer look was taken. Thanks for the lesson. It was interesting!
Hello! If you heard that moderate drinking may be healthy then indirectly, you’ve heard of the French Paradox becaue that’s what launched this belief! Thank you for your sharing!
I have never heard of the French paradox before. It’s interesting though how it was a term formed back then in the 1980s, but still is a relevant thing for your country. Words have so much cultural impact around the world, and I’m so glad you took the time to talk about this because my knowledge on it, as I said, was bare minimum.
You’re welcome! Many thanks!
I was quite disappointed to read that the French paradox was simply fake news. I was just starting to look forward to upping my intake of red wine and buttery croissants. But yes it makes a lot of sense.
A balanced and healthy diet and life style can be life changing and prevent many diseases. Who doesn’t want a healthy old age? I would love to know more about the Mediterranean diet for this very reason.
We are all disappointed! It was so comforting to believe drinking wine while eating fatty foods wasn’t bad. I am about to write a post about why the French are so thin? Yes the mediterranean diet has something to do with it. Stay tune!! Many thanks!
Thank you for the detailed explanation of the ‘French Paradox’. I have always been sure that it is the wine that keeps the fat off for some reason. We have all heard of the recommended ‘glass of wine is good for the stomach-and some added, heart’. It is somehow disappointing to find out that it is a myth. I guess truly everything comes down to a healthy habit, and maybe genetics for some. Thanks for this.
I was surprised and disappointed too when I found out! Thank tou!
Thank you for your post. It is informative and helpful. I am overweight and would like to lose weight. The “French Paradox” may give me some clue.
Diet is the number one fact for me to consider while deciding to lose weight. Based on my coach, both fat and wine are not in list, that is I should try to avoid fat and wine.
But based on your article, optimal amount of fat and wine does help. I am going to discuss this with my weight loss coach. May be it is fine to include some fat food and some red wine in my diet plan. By the way, both are fun to use.
It is kind of you sharing this useful facts with us
Hello Anthony,
wine does not help, that is what I am stating in my article. Your coach is right. I am clearly pointing out that it’s a myth. Thank you!
Hi, Anne, I am from China. I have never heard of “French paradox”, but after reading your article, I think “French paradox” is similar to a drinking habit in our country.
In our country, people mainly drink high-alcohol liquor. The culture of drinking in China has a long history. The festivals, the alliances, the wishes, the weddings, the funerals and the celebrations can all be enjoyed with alcohol. There are also a few accidents caused by excessive drinking each year. More and more people now believe that drinking 50-100ml of white wine per day is good for health, can soften blood vessels, and reduce the probability of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Chinese medicine also puts the medicine in the wine and uses it to treat some diseases.
I think that everything has a good side and a bad side. If you don’t develop to an extreme, you can benefit from the good side. Drinking is also the same, as long as you don’t drink too much, control the amount of daily, I think it is good for the body! thanks for sharing!
Right! Drink with moderation but I can’t no longer say that it is good for your body. Thank you!