The University of Navarra has launched a call for 10,000 adults in Spain to consume a glass of wine every day for four years as part of the world’s largest alcohol study, funded by the European Research Council.
With over 6,500 participants already enrolled, the study aims to settle a decades-long debate: Is moderate alcohol consumption healthier than abstaining completely?
Why Spain is giving wine to people over 50 for science
This is no ordinary clinical trial. The University of Navarra Alumni Trialist Initiative (UNATI) is a €2.4 million, EU-funded randomized trial investigating whether moderate alcohol consumption is as safe, or even safer, than abstaining completely from alcohol for conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and dementia.
According to the official research plan, the study aims to “provide initial evidence to address the harms of one of humanity’s most widely consumed substances.”
Lead investigator Professor Miguel A. Martínez-González explains, “A comprehensive, pragmatic, randomized controlled trial is long overdue” and hopes that UNATI will finally provide “an evidence-based answer to a question of greatest interest in clinical medicine.”
Who can apply for free wine consumption in Spain?
To participate in the study, you must:
Live in Spain
Be a man between the ages of 50 and 70 or a woman between the ages of 55 and 75
Consume between 3 and 40 alcoholic drinks per week
Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:
Moderation: Up to 1 glass of red wine per day, always with meals, spread throughout the week.
Abstinence: Complete avoidance of alcohol, supported by professionals.
Both groups will receive ongoing health coaching from psychologists, nutritionists, and group calls. Volunteers will also regularly complete online questionnaires and health checks.
What is being investigated?
The study is designed as a non-inferiority study, meaning it aims to test whether moderate alcohol consumption is associated with greater health risks than complete abstinence. Aspects being investigated include:
All-cause mortality
Cardiovascular events
Invasive cancer
Type 2 diabetes
Depression and dementia
Liver cirrhosis and hospitalizations
The alcohol consumption pattern being studied is defined as the Mediterranean Alcohol Drinking Pattern (MADP), which encompasses “moderate alcohol consumption with a preference for red wine, always consumed with meals, and consumption spread throughout the week.”
Importantly, the study avoids conflicts of interest that have plagued previous alcohol studies. The research plan states: “To avoid potential conflicts of interest, we did not request these gifts from the alcohol industry, but from a large supermarket chain in Spain.”
Global studies such as the GBD (Global Burden of Disease) have long argued that “there is no safe level of alcohol consumption,” while others suggest that moderate consumption—particularly among older adults—may reduce the risks of certain diseases. UNATI is the first comprehensive trial to directly test these opposing views.
Professor Martínez-González adds: “This randomized trial is long overdue and has been warranted for decades… A clear and definitive answer based on first-level evidence is of utmost importance.”
Where can you register for the Wine Volunteer Study Program in Spain?
Recruitment runs until June 2025, and over 6,500 people have already registered. If you would like to qualify and contribute to a groundbreaking health study while enjoying free wine, please visit the official registration page.
