(WineSpectator) - Moderate consumption of white and fortified wines could reduce diabetic retinopathy; leftover grape pomace shows some health potential.

A new study out of Australia has found a correlation between the moderate intake of wine and a reduction in diabetic retinopathy, a vision problem brought on by diabetes. The authors also discovered that people who suffer from type 2 diabetes and consume white wines or fortified wines like Port and Sherry had a lower risk of diabetic retinopathy than those who drink red wine.

Diabetic retinopathy is triggered when diabetes begins to damage blood vessels at the back of the eye. At first, it may cause vision problems; eventually it leads to blindness. Previous research has shown that moderate wine consumption can have positive effects in diabetes patients.

A team led by Dr. Eva Fenwick of the Center for Eye Research at the University of Melbourne in Australia tracked the drinking habits of 395 participants who had type 2 diabetes. The subjects’ drinking habits ranged from no alcohol consumption to heavy consumption (defined by the team as four or more drinks per day).

What was interesting, according to their analysis, published in the October issue of the Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications, was that the patients who showed the lowest odds of developing diabetic retinopathy were those who regularly drank what the team labeled the white wines/sparkling wines category or the Sherry/Port category. People who drank moderate amounts of white wines or sparkling wines had a 2.4 percent risk of diabetic retinopathy, while moderate Port and Sherry partakers had a 3.9 percent associated risk. Participants who drank moderate amounts of spirits showed a 49.7 percent association with diabetic retinopathy, while moderate red wine drinkers showed a 12.2 percent associated risk.

The team does not know the reasons for the lower risk. It’s possible that white and fortified wine drinkers may differ from other drinkers in diet, health, exercise or socioeconomic background. A longer-term study, with controls for such factors, could be the next step in seeing if diabetes sufferers may want to opt for white or bubbly over red.