Serum Cholesterol Levels After a Weekly Regimen of
Red Wine Consumption

Jeffrey R. Peterman

Department of Biology and Chemistry
Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste. Marie, Ml 49783

	Abstract. Eleven people were tested for blood serum cholesterol levels every two
weeks between September 15 and December 16. The first tests on Sept. 15 were used to
establish serum cholesterol levels before each participant began a weekly regimen of red wine
consumption on Sept. 16. Participants were all faculty and staff at Lake Superior State
University. Blood samples were taken every two weeks and analyzed on a Kodak
EKTACHEM at War Memorial Hospital. The otjechves of my study were to determine if this
red wine (Almaden Mountain Burgundy) would in fact decrease LDL and total cholesterol
levels and increase HDL cholesterol levels as reported in previous studies done in France.
Using the initial and final test values for each cholesterol type, a paired t-test was run on the
data. These tests showed a significant reduction in total and LDL cholesterol levels with p =
.05 and p = .07, respectively,( =.10). No increase in HDL levels was seen in this study.
These results do indicate that a regimen of red wine consumption can reduce LDL and total
cholesterol levels in the blood serum. Further testing is needed to determine the effect of red
wine on HDL cholesterol levels.



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