A group of Australian health bodies has attacked what it calls the ‘myth’ that red wine can have health-giving properties.

The Alcohol Policy Coalition, whose members include the Australian Drug Foundation and the Heart Foundation, has challenged the recent body of research that claims red wine in moderation reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.

The report, Myth busted: red wine no magic remedy for heart disease, is released today to coincide with the United Nations meeting on non-communicable diseases.

Beginning with the statistic that more than half of all alcohol-related deaths globally are from diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer or liver cirrhosis, the report cites studies from around the world which say the dangers of alcohol outweigh any health benefit.