Winter Maladies: Natural Approaches
Evaluating Health & Medical Information
June Russell's Health FactsHealth Benefits of Alcohol Questioned — Specific TopicsBeer
Wine
According to researchers from the Public Health Institute of Berkeley, California, beer accounts for most of the alcohol consumed by the heaviest drinkers and is also the most common form of alcohol consumed in the most hazardous drinking category. Other studies suggest that because beer has the lowest ethanol concentration, drinkers perception of its risk is lower. Beer drinkers are also more likely to drive after drinking according to the authors. The authors speculate that the disproportionate amount of beer drinking in the U.S. may be due in part to the presence of beer advertising which targets young males. It is also the least taxed of the three beverages (wine, beer and spirits).
The acceptable level of formaldehyde is 0.1 ppm, says the Carpet and Rug Institute, but there are individuals who are extremely sensitive to formaldehyde and cannot tolerate even minute amounts of it. It is found in many common ordinary items: beer, facial tissues, cosmetics, toothpaste, soft drinks, polyester clothing, furniture, carpets, mattresses. More and more people are becoming sensitized and ill when they are exposed to the present day acceptable levels.
Drinking from two to eight, twelve-ounce cans of beer on one occasion affects the immune system (negatively), and these effects extend up to four days following ingestion.
A beer with lunch can sap energy reserves, and evening drinking can disrupt sleep, leave the body dehydrated the following day, and lower motivation to get moving in the morning.
Even a single glass of beer or wine consumed 24 to 48 hours before having medical tests can throw off the results.
The alcohol in beer, wine and spirits increase triglycerides, it is suggested that all alcoholic beverages should be limited.
According to the Journal of Emergency Medicine, dark beer is one of the many foods that encourage intestinal gas production.
Alcohol consumption may increase yeast-related symptoms, such as bloating, gas, and craving for sweets, and can therefore interfere with weight loss, says Dr. Atkins' Web site. Beer, which contains yeast, probably has the most yeast-forming components of any alcohol.
The number two risk factor for cancer, after smoking, is alcohol. We use it to relax, but it hurts us. Why do we poison ourselves in order to be happy? When you drink even one beer and take a look at a slice of your liver under a microscope, you'll see death of liver cells. That is because the liver is trying to keep the poisons out of your bloodstream, and although your liver has the power to regrow, do we have to kill some liver cells in order to be happy? There just might be another option, a safer one.
According to research reported by NIAAA, increasing beer prices is an effective means of reducing alcohol problems. Higher alcohol taxes lead to reductions in the levels and frequency of drinking and heavy drinking among youth, lower traffic crash fatality rates (especially among young drivers), and reduced incidence of some types of crime. Underage persons now consume about 12 percent of all the alcohol sold in the U.S., and it cost Americans nearly $53 billion in 1996, which amounts to the equivalent of $200 for every man, women and child in the U.S. For every dollar the beer industry spends on alcohol education, the company spends at least $50 promoting beer.
One beer a day to keep heart disease away? There seems to be something in beer, not alcohol, that is beneficial, says Joe Vinson, PhD, lead researcher and professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Scranton Pennsylvania. It significantly inhibited atherosclerosis and reduced the risk by 60%. The benefit is purely from the antioxidants in beer.
Researchers say beer anaphylaxis is under-recognized. Tingling in the face, trouble breathing, and hives, all from one glass of beer? Barley-made beer is a potential culprit of severe anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that affects multiple systems in the body. Symptoms include severe headache, nausea and vomiting, sneezing and coughing, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue and throat, itching all over the body and anxiety. The most dangerous symptoms include breathing difficulties, a drop in blood pressure and shock, all of which can be fatal.
There was a Canadian study that concluded that people who drink one or two beers a day have less illness than those who drink none. This study was financed by the Canadian brewing industry. Even when this kind of obvious self-interest is not present, the researchers themselves, like most people in our culture, are likely to be alcohol users who have an unconscious need to legitimize the drugs they choose to take.
Americans drank as much beer as milk in 1992.
Beer may contain significant levels of aluminum.
Many patients will report that beer will provoke a headache.
Over the past few years, the incidence of heart failure has declined, but only in women. Men need to look after themselves better, eating less fat and less salty food, drinking less beer, and smoking less, among other things.
Gout is a type of arthritis caused by too much uric acid, which forms crystals in the blood that eventually accumulate in the joints (most often in the big toe). The result is acute swelling, inflammation and agonizing pain in the joints. Men are more likely to get gout, which can be brought on by drinking alcohol — drinking beer doubles the risk for men. --- Bacterial and Yeast Infections ---
Women can get chronic yeast infections from many things, one of which is from a sexual partner if he is a beer drinker. Beer contains brewers yeast and usually made from moldy grains unfit for food processing, and loaded with the chronic yeast infections favorite food, sugar. This can produce a skin yeast infection on the male penis that he is totally unaware of since the skin is about 77 degrees. The low temperature causes the infection to remain dormant, but during the act of sex with the vagina being a very inviting place, it can become active as it is passed on to the woman. At this point it can now be given back to the male because his urethra is vulnerable during sex. A few researchers believe this is the direct cause of problems of the prostate. If yeast will raise bread, couldn’t it swell a prostate gland? Alcohol is also contaminated with fungus and mold. The fermentation process itself is a break down of whatever is used by molds (commonly yeast) to create the alcohol.
Every time beer taxes go up or the legal drinking age is raised, gonorrhea rates usually dropped among young people according to Alcohol Policy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Rates - US, 1981-1995, published by the CDC in 2000. Young persons who drink alcohol may be more likely than persons who abstain to participate in high-risk sexual activity, such as unprotected sexual intercourse or multiple sexual partners. --- Beer and Increased Cancer Risk ---
Several studies associate the intake of alcohol, including beer, with increased cancer risk.
For those with prostate enlargement, avoid beer, which increases prolactin, a hormone that indirectly increases the production of dihydrotestosterone, another hormone that causes prostate cells to multiply excessively. This cell multiplication is thought to be the underlying cause of prostate enlargement.
Avoid Beer — Some researchers believe that an ingredient, or combination of ingredients, found in beer stimulates the pituitary gland to release more prolactin. Prolactin is a hormone that encourages the prostate to take in more testosterone and convert it to DHT (dihydrotestosterone), which stimulates the prostatic overgrowth of BPH or benign prostatic hypertrophy (which is an extraneous, noncancerous enlargement of the prostate). Avoiding beer has been proposed as a simple, non-toxic way of realigning body chemistry and reducing the symptoms of BPH.
Drinking as little as one beer or shot of whiskey a day can raise the risk of mouth, throat and esophageal cancer, according to a recent study in the British Medical Journal. People who consumed between 7 and 21 beers or drinks containing hard liquor per week, had three times the risk of developing cancers in their upper digestive tracts as nondrinkers.
Beer drinking has been associated with an increased risk of precancerous changes in the colon.(Gastroenterology 1993 & Am J Epidemiology 1991). Nitrosamines, cancer-causing chemicals found in beer, may be partially responsible for these associations. (Am J Epidemiol 1991). Most, but not all, preliminary reports have found an association between beer drinking (though not consumption of other forms of alcohol) and rectal cancer. Several studies have found consumption of any alcohol to be associated with an increased risk of rectal and colon cancers, the link between rectal cancer and beer being only slightly stronger than the association between rectal cancer and other forms of alcohol. (Am J Epidemiol 1988 & Nutr Cancer 1990). Some association between beer drinking and prostate cancer risk exists, according to an analysis of most published reports. (Prostate 2000) --- Mental Function----
Regular beer drinkers have a higher risk of developing dementia, Danish researchers reported. They noted that beer drinkers sometimes have deficiencies in B vitamins which are critical for brain and nerve function.
A study reviewing the drinking habits of 2,000 Danish men found that those who drank beer, even as infrequently as once per month, were more than twice as likely as non-beer drinkers to experience a deterioration in mental functioning.
Even a small amount of alcohol (even one or two beers) can seriously affect judgment and driving decisions, and the drinker doesn’t even know it. The study by Texas A&M University’s Center for Alcohol and Drug Education was made during the daylight hours, when, Dr. Maurice Dennis says, the vision is sharper than nighttime. --- Beer and Beer Bellies (Fat Metabolism)----
Beer and liquor tend to raise levels of cortisol, a hormone that appears to steer fat toward the tummy.
Beer is a high glycemic index food and classified as unacceptable to those who are trying to cut down.
Those who have a "beer belly" are at increased risk for developing high blood pressure, according to a study from Italy.
Too much body fat puts people at high risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. That extra girth in the stomach may mean a stroke, according to a study presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.
Many previous studies show that storing fat primarily in your belly, rather than the hips, is associated with being overweight and insulin resistant, which often leads to diabetes. This new study shows that storing fat in your belly increases the risk for high blood pressure, even if you are not overweight and do not have diabetes. The study shows that high levels of insulin are independently associated with constricting arteries which leads to high blood pressure. Storing fat in the belly increases the risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, and strokes. --- Estrogenic Effect of Beer ---
Researchers from Vienna, Austria, have found that chemicals in the environment, including some in foods such as peas and beer, that mimic the effect of the female sex hormone estrogen, causing the sperm burn out before reaching the egg. Previous studies have shown that estrogen-like chemicals can disrupt the development of the male reproductive system and reduce the production of sperm but this is the first time scientists have shown they affect sperm itself.
Editor's comment: Wine and beer contain alcohol and are drugs, tranquilizers, carcinogens, and all warnings of alcohol use pertain to them as well.
Wine/Beer Health Benefits Questioned
--- Breast Cancer --- Wine Institute publications omit cautions and qualifications
made by the researchers whose studies are cited. They also fail to mention
the health risks of alcohol use, such as the increased risk of breast
cancer, miscarriage, and violent death. The wine industry’s media advisory:
"Wine in moderation is not associated with increased risk of breast cancer.
This association is only in those who drink heavily." Yet the researchers
who did the breast cancer study said they could not rule out the possibility
of risk at moderate levels. Also omitted was mention of previous studies
linking breast cancer with the use of light and moderate amounts of alcohol.
The Wine Institute press releases ignore the dangers and suggest that
drinking wine is a healthy choice. Such biased information can color media
reporting of scientific studies on alcohol and health, misleading the
public and many health care professionals about the benefits and risks
of alcohol use.
If you are concerned about the alcohol-breast cancer link, consider drinking purple grape juice instead. In a study reported in the journal ‘Circulation,’ investigators found that when people with heart disease drank grape juice every day, oxidation of their LDL cholesterol, which causes LDL to stick to artery walls, slowed by 34.5%. Moreover, the ability of their arteries to dilate (relax) improved by 4.2%.
Serge Renaud, a researcher at the University of Bordeaux in France told newspaper reporters that wine not only protects against heart disease but most cancers. But Renaud’s study isn't exactly proof. For ten to fifteen years, Renaud tracked 34,000 men who were 40 to 60 years old when the study began. Compared to men who drank no alcohol at all, those who averaged two to three drinks a day had a 27% lower risk of dying. Does that mean alcohol prevents cancer? Hardly. The study included only men, so it missed alcohol’s impact on breast cancer and much of the lower risk from dying was due to a lower risk of heart disease. 22% is not statistically significant, and it was not determined if the 23% that were abstainers were ex-drinkers who quit because of illness. The bottom line: it’s too early to conclude that wine prevents cancer, too early that is, unless you were convinced before the study began.
Alcohol consumption correlates with increased breast cancer risk, even at levels of less than one drink per day. None of the federal government’s ‘Dietary Guidelines for Americans,’ nor the ‘Dietary Guidelines’ provide information about the risk of breast cancer among women at a moderate level of consumption, less than one drink a day. Sheila Blume, MD, addiction psychiatrist and former New York State Commissioner on Alcoholism opposes the Wine Institute’s proposed labeling because it is inadequate for both sexes, and particularly misleading for women. --- 60 Minutes Program Questioned ---The 20 million people who tune in to "60 Minutes", the popular TV show, expect balanced reporting and generally believe what they're getting. Morley Safer led a sloppily put-together segment that amounted to nothing more than a one-sided editorial regarding wine’s effect on health. This segment focused on a recently published study from Denmark suggesting that people who drink three to five glasses of wine a day are at only half the risk of non-wine drinkers for dying, not just from heart disease but also from other causes. Beer and hard liquor did not confer the same life-prolonging benefit. The physicians who were interviewed were considered strong wine "supporters" - the lead author, Morten Gronbaek, MD, as well as French researcher Serge Renaud, MD, and Boston University Scientist Curtis Ellison, MD. A part of Dr. Ellison’s speech at a wine trade show was aired, where he said that "abstinence from alcohol is a major risk factor for coronary disease." What the segment left out was far more telling than what was included. Eric Rimm, MD, a Harvard University scientist considered one of the leading researchers looking into the connection between alcohol and health, made the comment that: "There is already overwhelming evidence from a variety of studies much larger than the one in Denmark that three to five glasses of wine is too much. When having over two glasses of wine a day, other problems such as stroke, several kinds of cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, car accidents - goes up dramatically. While death from heart disease in Denmark has gone down as wine consumption has increased, France has had a dramatic increase in the deaths from heart disease as well, even as wine drinking has decreased dramatically. The results of one study do not a fact make.
The antioxidants in the wine referred to on ‘60 Minutes’ are present only in small amounts and you would have to drink dangerously large amounts of wine to get the same antioxidant protection contributed by several daily servings of vegetables and fruits. Although Dr. Rimm was interviewed before the segment was presented, only those who gave positive praises about wine were aired. Four years before this report, Mr. Safer, an avowed wine enthusiast, hosted a similarly wine-friendly program, where the negatives of alcohol were also left out. This is a particular shame because of the tremendous influence on viewers. --- Heart Disease ---The appealing idea that red wine can protect against heart disease has gained currency, thanks to studies showing a lower rate of heart disease among people who regularly drank moderate amounts of wine. However, a panel of physicians urged doctors to downplay the potential heart-healthy effects of red wine and encourage patients to exercise and eat more fruits and vegetables. It is unclear whether the components in the wine or the heart-healthy lifestyles of the wine lovers are behind this boost in cardiac protection, say researchers in the Jan. issue of "Circulation," a journal of the American Heart Association. Wine drinkers tend to be thinner, exercise more, and to drink with meals, all of which may help to remove artery-clogging fats from their bloodstreams, they say.
Alcohol is an addictive substance and adverse effects can occur at moderate levels writes Dr. Ira Goldberg, Professor at Columbia University in New York, and his colleagues, who serve on the American Heart Association nutrition committee. The panel also suggests that exercise can boost HDL even more, and fruits and vegetables contain even greater amounts of antioxidants than a glass of wine and free of the hazards of alcohol. There is no significant basis on which to recommend that people consume red wine.
Although drinking red wine may be an appealing ritual for heart health, medical authorities with the American Heart Association caution that nothing beats eating healthfully, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight. These are free from the potential hazards of the alcohol in wine.
Antioxidant compounds found in tea, wine and fruits and vegetables may lower the risk of having a non-fatal heart attack for some men, but they do not offer protection for the more deadly episodes. In ‘Epidemiology’ the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki, Finland analyzed a study of 25,000 male smokers aged 50-69 with no history of heart attack. However, it was only a weak association between these compounds and death from a heart attack. Their finding contradicts previous studies which have shown a stronger relationship between the antioxidant compounds and death from heart attack. The authors note that the consumption of tea and wine was low in Finland. The individuals in the study smoked.
A team of Israeli researchers compared the effects of red and white wine (two glasses per day). The red wine caused HDL to increase 26%. The white wine drinkers showed no change. The color of the grapes therefore may be more important than the alcohol, said John D. Folts, PhD, director of the coronary thrombosis laboratory at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. However, the red wine drinkers had a 26% increase in blood triglyceride levels. William E. Conner, MD, and expert in blood fats at the University, failed to find a strong relationship between wine consumption and heart disease risk, but attributed positive effects in French to the consumption of flavonoids. British researchers say that the healthy lifestyle of wine drinkers, and not the wine itself, is the main reason for their lower risk of heart disease compared with imbibers who prefer beer or liquor. Their findings indicated that regular intake of all alcoholic drinks is associated with a lower risk of heart disease than occasional drinking. The men wine drinkers were more likely to be light drinkers, nonsmokers, of normal weights, physically active and to work in white collar jobs. Because of these factors, the difference was no longer significant.
Research has suggested that moderate drinking reduces the risk of heart problems, but the link between alcohol and stroke is more controversial. Wine appeared to be the most protective of all alcoholic beverages, possibly because it contains flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that may protect against heart disease and cancer. These compounds, which are also found in fruits and vegetables, prevent disease-causing free radicals from damaging cells. However, women who drank wine were also more likely to be educated, nonsmokers, and to have normal cholesterol. These factors might also contribute to their lower risk of stroke. Lead author, Dr. Ann Malarcher, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, believed that the association with wine is due to the presence of flavonoids and to other unexplored lifestyle factors. She added that because wine is typically consumed with meals, it may influence the movement of fats in the blood.
Red wine is not the most proven ritual for heart health to ward off heart attacks. Doctors with the American Heart Association say nothing beats the time-honored practices: eating healthfully, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy weight. In the AHA journal, ‘Circulation,’ Dr. Ira J. Goldberg, a member of the AHA’s Nutrition Committee, stated that there are other risk-reduction options that are well-documented and free of the potential hazards associated with alcohol consumption.
Many studies have reported that wine increases HDL levels and may protect against heart disease and possibly stroke. A recent study, however, reported that in patients who had experienced heart attacks, wine consumption was associated not only with higher HDL levels, but also higher LDL and triglyceride levels. If on medications you should consult a physician about potential interactions with alcohol, and even moderate drinking increases the risk of breast cancer in women. No alcohol for those women who are pregnant or those at risk for alcohol abuse.
Alcohol use generates free radicals, which are unstable oxygen molecules that can actually cause damage to blood vessel tissues, dampening any of the benefits that red wine’s antioxidants may offer. Alcohol hastens the breakdown of the antioxidants in the blood, speeding its elimination from the body. A little alcohol benefits the heart? According to the Physician’s Health Study (of males) in the Lancet, Dec. 12, 1998, heart attack patients who drank two to four alcoholic drinks per week had a 28% lower risk of dying. According to Dr. J. Michael Gaziano of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, and his colleagues, those heart attack (myocardial infarction) patients who drank one to four drinks per month, and those who drank two or more a day had a 15% to 16% reduction in risk of dying. Those who had one drink a day had a 21% reduction.
Caveats: The study subjects were largely men of higher socioeconomic status who might have been healthier in general and had better health care than the population at large, the authors noted. Dr. Michael Criqui, of the University of California, San Diego, cautions that alcohol is an intoxicant and addictive, and it is unlikely that it can be given across the board approval for preventing heart attacks. From the original physician’s health study in the Lancet: Alcohol drinking is associated with a dose-dependent increase in blood pressure {Circulation 1982, 1986}. Studies of the association of alcohol intake with mortality among patients with cardiovascular disease are limited {British Medical Journal 1994}. We examined the relation between alcohol intake and mortality risk in men with a history of myocardial infarction. Specific recommendations should be tailored to individuals, taking into account the potential risks of alcohol intake relative to the likely benefits for cardiovascular mortality. --- Purple Grape Juice versus Wine ---
You can get the same protection from six, six-ounce glasses of grape juice as two glasses of red wine, say University of Wisconsin researchers.
It makes sense to include daily consumption of purple grape juice as a part of a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat, says John Foltz of the University of Wisconsin’s Coronary Thrombosis Research and Prevention Laboratory.
Purple grape juice has amazing anti-clotting power. In one study eight to ten ounces of grape juice was found to be better than aspirin or red wine at reducing the tendency of blood platelets to clump together. Although grape juice may not improve cholesterol ratios the way wine does, it might reduce the risk of a heart attack.
Research has shown that ellagic acid, which is found in grapes, plays a role in cancer prevention. Also resveratrol from grape skin decreases platelet aggregation and may also prevent cancer.
When wine is consumed, it only prevents blood from clotting at levels high enough to declare someone legally drunk, says John Foltz, PhD, but with grape juice, you can drink enough to get the benefit without worrying about becoming intoxicated. Alcoholic drinks don't seem to improve the function of the cells in blood vessel linings the way grape juice does, and alcohol generates free radicals, unstable oxygen molecules that can actually cause damage to blood vessel tissues, dampening any of the benefits that red wine’s antioxidants may offer. Alcohol hastens the breakdown of the antioxidant in the blood, speeding its elimination from the body. A study published in "Current Medical Research and Opinion," finds that certain health benefits of wine exist in grape juice - phenols, and a 1999 study in "Nutrition Research," found high antioxidant levels in black grapes. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals, which are substances that can damage cells and cause a number of diseases and health conditions. These antioxidants in red wine called flavonoids prevent dangerous blood clots, but cardiologists found the same benefit in red grape juice. There was no antioxidant potential in the alcohol. A 1997 study in the American Journal of Cardiology found that the wine has benefits independent of its alcohol content.
We are all familiar with the promotion of red wine being good for the heart. Purple grape juice actually contains more resveratrol, a supposed cholesterol-lowering substance, than does most red wine.
There is now a powdered extract of red grape seeds containing approximately 90% phenolic compounds now available in health food stores. Scientists theorize that it is the phenolic compounds in red wine that decrease the risk of heart attack or stroke.
--- Salicylic Acid in Wine ---
A study by enologist Carlos Muller of California State University at Fresno was concerned with the salicylic acid in wine. Salicylic acid is a powerful antioxidant that helps lower cholesterol and prevent blood clots in clogged arteries. It is for this reason some suggest a daily dose of 30 mg of aspirin may be a preventive measure in maintaining a healthy heart. Many wines, especially red wines contain almost twice as much salicylic acid per liter as the daily recommended dose of aspirin. As the liver detoxifies alcohol, it produces a molecule called NADH, and through another biochemical cycle, NADH restores the antioxidant capability of salicylic acid. --- Flavonoids and Polyphenols Wine ---
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found that nonalcoholic red wine appears to confer more long-lasting health benefits than the usual alcoholic version. The (+)-catechin, the main flavinoid in red wine that is known for its positive cardiovascular effects, disappeared faster when drinking the alcoholic red wine than the dealcoholized version.
In the Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers at the University of California, Davis, stated that the presence of alcohol in some beverages may lessen their health-giving properties. The main flavinoid in wine known for its positive cardiovascular effects is catechin, and after two groups ingested wine, one group was given alcoholic wine and the other one given dealcoholized wine. The catechin disappeared from the participants’ blood faster when they consumed the alcoholic version.
Red wine is made from grape skins which contain a variety of flavonoids called quercetin that works something like aspirin in suppressing blood clotting.
LDL cholesterol must go through the free-radical-triggered process known as oxidation in order for it to have cardiovascular-damaging effects. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2004, showed that the polyphenols can stop the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. This can be accomplished when the polyphenols are consumed separate from alcohol (red wine). Furthermore, combining vitamin E with the red wine polyphenols may have an even greater effect. --- Deceptive Studies ---
In the report about wine drinkers having a lower risk of colorectal tumors in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, Dr. Joseph C. Anderson from Stony Brook University, NY, stated that moderate wine drinkers had a lower risk of colorectal tumors. The report also stated that colorectal tumors were also associated with those over 60 years of age, smoking and obesity. --- Other Findings ---
The research that wine is good for you fails to include the facts that many, if not most, Americans regularly consume over-the-counter pain medications, says J. Mercola, D.O.
Wine seems to irritate the stomach lining more than beer or diluted whiskey says a 1983 report in the Journal of Gastroenterology.
According to Dutch researchers who reported their study in a letter to the journal, "The Lancet," in Apr. of that year, found that wine and gin raised homocysteine levels (8 and 9%). Beer had no effect.
Wine often has a high iron content and drinking wine can increase one’s absorption of iron.
Most conventional wines contain pesticide residues and added sulfites, which can cause headaches and allergic reaction in some people.
Before considering alcoholic beverages as a risk reduction strategy, a reasonable approach would be to adopt lifestyle behaviors that lower one’s risk of both heart disease and cancer, such as exercise, low-fat diet, plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
Studies have found that vitamins C and E appear to offer even greater protection than red or white wine. --- Variables that Influence Outcome of Studies ---
The authors of a study of over 4,000 men and women suggest that the concurrent diet and lifestyle patterns may explain the higher rates of morbidity and mortality among nondrinkers. Men and women who preferred wine consistently consumed less saturated fat and cholesterol, smoked less, and exercised more than those who preferred beer, spirits, or had no preference. The abstainers, who made up 20 percent of the subjects, have been shown in previous studies to have higher disease and death rates than moderate drinkers. The negative health and lifestyle factors among the abstaining subjects, including lower intake of fruits and vegetables and higher rates of smoking and red meat consumption, may explain why non-drinkers have poorer health than drinkers.
People who drink red wine may lead healthier lifestyles in general, and you can boost HDL cholesterol without drinking alcohol. Getting regular exercise has the same effect. Editor's comment: All warnings about alcohol use include wine, beer, and spirits. Alcoholic drinks are drugs, tranquilizers, and carcinogens. |