The health impact of red wine in particular, and alcohol in general, has long been a topic of debate, making it difficult to separate fact from fallacy. But a new online report shines some valuable light on this controversial topic.
For some time red wine has been recommended as a treatment for various health problems such as indigestion, lethargy and diarrhea. But, more importantly, it has been highly touted for its beneficial effects on heart health. Most studies have suggested that the French are healthier as a result of including red wine in their daily diet despite the fact that, in general, they smoke more, and consume more saturated fats. So, is there any legitimacy to this red-wine theory?
It appears now that there is not mainly because the heart benefits do not arise from the wine itself, but rather, from the alcohol contained in it.
From multiple studies conducted over several years, researchers collectively have found that drinking moderate amounts of any type of alcoholic beverage not just red wine is beneficial to a healthy heart. Current science suggests that one serving of alcohol per day for women, and two per day for men, seems to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, while subsequently increasing life expectancy.
The online publication Vox recently posted a lengthy article which includes work from 30 studies and five researchers, supporting the belief that moderate alcohol consumption, in general, is beneficial to human health.
Julia Belluz, who wrote the piece, points out that conducting a conclusive study using two groups of people, one which would drink two glasses of wine per day for 10 years, and the other receiving a placebo is virtually impossible. That's because it's considered impractical not to mention unethical for subjects to be required to drink alcohol, especially over a long period. In addition, there is the risk of addiction and other long-term health problems, especially cirrhosis of the liver.
In the absence of such a trial, scientists have used short-term studies, where they measured the physiological effects in people who consume alcohol in moderation and in retrospect found they also had higher amounts of (HDL) good cholesterol, and decreased blood clotting.
These mechanisms provide a biological basis for causal relation between alcohol consumption and lower rates of coronary heart disease and death, said Annila Paganini Hill of the University of California Irvine, as reported by Vox.
In long-term studies, positive effects were also seen: lower rates of heart disease, fewer heart attacks, and lower rates of diabetes. It should be noted that the results might be skewed, since people with serious illnesses, including heart disease, consume less alcohol in general. This is called a confounder a variable that decreases the reliability of any study.
But the take-away message from this journalistic investigation is fairly clear: That we shouldn't give the credit for any health benefit solely to red grapes. Alcohol can help us as well. And we agree.