It’s something diners have long suspected about that warm glow they get after a finely cooked King Salmon meal washed down with a glass of pinot gris.
And now there’s medical evidence to prove that a tipple at the table is good for you.
A recent study by French researchers analysing data from 84 independent studies shows that people who regularly drink wine with a meal containing omega-three fatty acids have up to 20 per cent more heart tissue.
The extra tissue makes the heart healthier and stronger and improves a person’s cardiovascular system.
While the results were only published last month in the Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology journal, top New Zealand food scientist Grant MacDonald said the links had been known for some time.

“I’ve downloaded about 400 studies alongthe same lines,” he said.
“There’s lots of articles, and evidence that this is real.
“They don’t understand it fully, but the benefits of the wine do seem to team up with omega-3s to have a greater effect.
“It’s very complex.  On one level, the polyphenyls in wine are antioxidants so they lower the oxidative stress on the person’s body, and so do omega-3s in that they have antiinflammatory properties.
“Together, they seem to work better but they can’t put their finger on it just yet as to why.”

Dr MacDonald is quick to point out that the results reflect a moderate consumptionof alcohol.
After working around New Zealand’s seafood industry for over thirty years, Dr MacDonald recommends King Salmon and Greenshell Mussels as good sources of omega-3s.

“King Salmon is close to 25 per cent oil– it’s actually a cheap way of getting your omega-3s,” he said.
“In New Zealand, King Salmon is probably the best source of fatty fish.
“Per 150g of fish, there’s about 35g of lipids which will give you about 9g of polyunsaturated fatty acids – that works out to about 5 times your recommended daily intake of omega-3s.”

But it’s not just found in fish.

“You look at Greenshell Mussels –they have a good amount of omega-3s,” Dr MacDonald said.
“There’s about 1.3 grams of omega-3s per 100grams of mussels plus they’re really high in a lot of other nutrients.”