There is a fondly held myth that alcohol is good for you. From the “dab” of brandy given to assist a newborn to sleep, to the triumphant yet flawed research of the 1980s and 1990s, the mild relaxant, analgesic and pleasurable qualities of alcohol seduce many of us into the delusion that alcohol must be healthy. Yet this is little more than wish fulfillment.
People With Low Versus No Alcohol Consumption
Although a great many studies showed that people who drank low amounts of alcohol were healthier than those who drank none at all, reasons for this many not be because alcohol is good for you. People who abstain from alcohol completely are not typical of the general population and include recovering alcoholics, people with a range of other ailments who need to avoid alcohol for health reasons or medication interactions, and people who have extreme belief systems which do not allow alcohol use. These people may be susceptible to health problems for reasons other than their current alcohol intake.
In contrast, people who drink moderate amounts of wine, the alcoholic beverage singled out most frequently as healthy, have been found to have overall healthier lifestyles –- particularly in relation to heart health -- than others, perhaps exaggerating the apparent benefits of wine. Research has shown moderate wine drinkers to have healthier diets, including greater amounts of fruits, vegetables and fiber intake, and lower amounts of red and fried meat, than those who prefer wine or spirits or had no preference. They also smoke less.
Heart Disease
In the 1990s, a large number of studies seemed to indicate that a low intake of alcohol was helpful for protecting people against heart disease. Even as the evidence stacked up, it was obvious that only very small amounts of alcohol were implicated, and that greater alcohol intake than 80 grams per day greatly increased the risk of heart disease.
More recent research has indicated that what was thought to be the protective factor of alcohol may in fact the protective factor of resveratrol, a natural constituent of grapes, pomegranates, red wine and other foods. Further research is needed to confirm this hypothesis in humans.
Stroke
There appears to be some evidence that low levels of alcohol (around 16 to 32 grams or one to two drinks per day) reduce the risk of the more common (ischaemic) form of stroke. However, there is also evidence that high levels of alcohol consumption is associated with intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain that results from a blood vessel rupture in the head). This bleeding can cause .
So even when the promotion of alcohol as a health benefit was at it’s highest, use of alcohol was never advisable as a preventative measure for strokes.
Mood
It was suggested that alcohol creates positive mood and a sense of well-being, and that this might contribute to the beneficial health effects of alcohol. Yet as every drinker knows, the positive effects of alcohol are superficial, short-lived, and typically followed by a rebound effect of depression. This depression, coupled with the hangover experience the following day, as well as the longer term risk of alcohol-induced mood disorder makes the argument of positive mood and well-being implausible at best.
Clearly Harmful Effects
Regardless of the evidence that alcohol may be beneficial in very small doses in relation to a few very specific conditions, there is conclusive and long-term evidence of a great deal more harmful, and indeed fatal conditions. These include:
- Accidents
- Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (addiction)
- Alcoholic hallucinosis
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Amnesia
- Cancer (oral, pharynx, oesophagus, liver, rectum, colon and breast)
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Cognitive dysfunction
- Delerium tremens (DTs)
- Dementia
- Depression
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Impairment of judgement
- Reproductive problems (miscarriage, fetal growth retardation, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), low birth weight, fertility issues)
- Sexual problems
- Suicide
- Violence
- Wernick-Korsakoff syndrome (irreversible damage to the central nervous system)
Use of alcohol to benefit one's health is a highly irrational move. The supposed benefits of alcohol can be accomplished by other means, such as a healthy diet and moderate exercise. If you choose to drink alcohol, keep it within moderation to avoid the above illnesses and, in particular, alcohol dependence.
Sources
Barefoot, J. et al. “” Public Library of Science One. June 4, 2008. Accessed 20 April 2009.
Department of Health “Sensible Drinking: The Report of an Inter-Departmental Working Group.” December 1995.
Higdon, J. and Drake, V. “” Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University. 2005-2009.
