The French paradox is the much-discussed observation that people in southern France have historically suffered relatively low rates of coronary heart disease despite a diet rich in saturated fat — butter, cheese, cream, and fatty meats. Researchers proposed that regular, moderate consumption of red wine might explain the gap, pointing to antioxidants such as resveratrol and to alcohol’s effects on HDL cholesterol and clotting. The idea, popularised in the early 1990s, boosted red wine’s health reputation enormously. Later analysis has been more sceptical: differences in data recording, overall dietary patterns, lifestyle, and the possibility that moderate drinkers differ in other ways may account for much of the paradox. It remains a landmark case study in nutritional epidemiology.