Cheers — to Your Health!
This week, I’d like to share some information about the health benefits of wine. But, first, let me start with a disclaimer. I’m not a doctor, so this isn’t health or medical advice. Also, I don’t play a doctor on TV, nor did I sleep in a Holiday Inn last night! Yet, I’m very interested and get quite excited when I hear that things or practices I enjoy are good for my health. Just yesterday, I was reading a presentation on Medscape, the title being “Coffee, the First Wonder Drug.” I get very jazzed when I see that type of a title and the data is there to support the claim from a reliable source. The same is true for my passion about wine.
It’s alcohol, and how can that be good? We all know that moderation is an important aspect of all things we do, and there have been many studies that have concluded that low to moderate consumption of alcohol is associated with numerous potential physiological benefits. I once sat in on a cardiologist presentation (back in the ‘80’s) on the benefits of red wine as contrasted to white wine, beer, and hard liquor versus no consumption at all. To be honest, I was not drinking at all prior to that evening. Thank you, doctor. Look at what I might have missed!
There are reported neurologic implications, the potential for improved cholesterol profiles, reported beneficial effects on the blood clotting function, and improved insulin sensitivity. The list of potential positive effects goes on. In fact, an article in Wine Spectator that I just read listed the effects of wine on about nine different disease states or body functions.
As for what is considered light or moderate drinking, I will give you the definition that is most commonly referred to in the literature. They define one alcoholic drink as 5 ounces of 12 percent alcohol (a typical glass of wine) or 12 ounces of 5 percent alcohol (a typical beer). For women, a moderate drinker is someone who has one drink per day; and, for men, it’s someone who has two drinks per day. Also, men can consume more alcohol than women because of body mass and because they have inherently more of an enzyme that denatures alcohol (alcohol dehydrogenase). Darn genetics. Sad to say, that is why women feel the effects longer.
With all of the reported positive effects on health, there is still much debate on the effects of wine or alcohol on women and breast cancer. There has been conflicting evidence that everyone should evaluate for themselves. I am sure we will see more research. As with anything, it’s an evaluation of benefit versus risk. My family history points me in the direction of greater concern for cardiovascular risks much more than anything else, yet again it is good to be informed.
Let me balance all that by saying that we should trust only reputable resources. Below is a link from Food & Wine. While it’s dated from 2007, the information is very interesting; and the references include journals such as Annals of Internal Medicine, American Journal of Gastroenterology, Diabetes Care, Neuroepidemiology, and Stroke. For all you science readers out there, the “n’s” are large, too. These are not fly by night publications. Here’s the link: http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/8-health-benefits-of-drinking-wine.
Enjoy!