What about wine?

Like people all over the world, some who live in the Mediterranean region drink alcohol and some do not. Many versions of the Mediterranean diet include some wine with a meal.

Red wine tends to be included more often than is white wine. Some experts and dietary guidelines recommend that women limit themselves to one glass of wine a day, and for men no more than two glasses a day.

Alcohol has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease in some studies. But it's not risk-free. So don't start to drink alcohol or drink more often in hopes of gaining possible health benefits.

Recent studies cast doubt on the notion that even a little alcohol may be good for the heart.

One large study suggested that people who regularly drank any amount of alcohol had a higher risk of high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. The more alcohol they drank, the higher the risk.

Another study found that having slightly more than one alcoholic drink a day was linked with a higher risk of atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat.

If you drink alcohol, talk to your health care provider or a specialist in nutrition, called a dietitian, to figure out what amount — if any — is right for you.

Factors that affect your decision might be the extra calories alcohol brings to the diet, or any kidney or liver problems you may have. And if you just don't like the taste of alcohol, that's a good reason to stay away from it too.