The notion that a glass of red wine with dinner may protect against heart disease and cancer might prove to be false. It turns out those antioxidants might not be as effective in preserving heart and cell health as previously thought.

There is already a body of conflicting evidence that suggests that the antioxidant, Resveratrol may play a role in reducing cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation, and diabetes, while other sources insist that no relation exists. The latest study released on the topic echoes the latter conclusion.

The study, from the John’s Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, studied 783 individuals aged 65 and up. They measured the levels of Resveratrol in urine every three years for nine years and compared that data with other markers of health which include cholesterol, heart disease, blood pressure and mortality rates. Over the course of the study, 34 percent of the participants died and 4.6 percent were diagnosed with cancer. The measured levels of Resveratrol in urine did not correlate with any of the markers related to the causes of death in the 34 percent.

Over the last two decades, research that indicated the potential benefits of red wine have been prone to garnering more attention from the general public. Experts indicate that this could be in part because people just really want wine to be good for them. However, there is a more substantial cause for this association. Often referred to as the “French Paradox,” the assumption has long been that the low rate of heart disease in spite of a customary diet high in cholesterol was the product of a cultural affinity for ingesting red wine.

Many experts do not agree with this popular explanation of the “French Paradox.” The World Health Organization recommends against any consumption of alcohol. Other organization, such as Canada’s Heart and Stroke Foundation and the American Heart Association agree with this recommendation of abstinence.