By Tom Secrest
27 August 2011
We get a lot of conflicting information regarding alcohol consumption and our health. It seems like that for the past 20 years, the more or less official line has been alcohol is bad. However, every now and then we hear reports that say alcohol, in moderation, is okay. When we analysis the word ‘okay’ it turns out to not be a powerful endorsement. If you needed surgery, knowing that your surgeon was ‘okay’ at their job wouldn’t be particularly reassuring.
So where does the medical and scientific community stand on this issue now? In Aug. 2011, Dr. Edward J. Neafsey, published a paper in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment that suggests that light to moderate drinking may reduce the risk cognitive decline and dementia. Up front it is important to define what light to moderate means and it probably doesn’t mean what you think. For men, moderate drinking means no more than 2 drinks per day and for women, it means no more than one drink per day. As you can see moderate drinking is a misnomer, it really means that alcohol should be treated like medicine and not a social enzyme.
With that in mind, this huge meta-analysis study found that those who consumed beer, wine or spirits, in moderation, reduced their risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, by 23%. The evidence appears to indicate that there is little or no distinction between beer, wine and spirits. It is the alcohol that is protective and the source of alcohol seems to be relatively unimportant.
Let’s pause here and define what constitutes a ‘drink’ with regard to beer, wine and spirits. What constitutes a single drink depends on the alcohol content of the drink. The alcohol content of a beer is about 5%; although, some can be higher, perhaps up to 7%. Therefore, 12 oz. (355 ml) of beer is considered 1 drink. Remember not all cans are the same, some cans are 12 oz. and some are 22 oz. and represent almost two drinks in one can. The alcohol content of wine is around 11%, but like beer, it can be higher, perhaps up to 13% or 14%. The % content is clearly shown on the label. Therefore, 4-5 oz. (118 ml – 148 ml) of wine is considered to be one drink. Spirits can be confusing because the alcohol content is given as ‘proof,’ which is twice the percentage (i.e. 40% alcohol is 80 proof) and the variation in alcohol content between brands is considerable. Mixed drinks are even harder to calculate, therefore, I have linked to an alcohol content calculator so you can easily find the alcohol content of your favorite mixed drink.
One possible explanation for the benefits is offered by Dr. Neafey and Dr. Collins. They suggest that small amounts of alcohol stress brain cells just a tiny bit. The brain cells respond by increasing their production of protective compounds. As a result, when a more significant or even lethal stressor comes along, the brains cells are unaffected, due to the higher levels of these protective compounds.
If you plan to consume alcohol in a medicinal way, i.e. as described above, you might want to consider red wine. Current research suggests that there is some health benefit associated with resveratrol. This compound is found in many plants including red grapes. As a result, wine production tends to concentrate this substance in red wine, which makes red wine a reasonable source of this biologically important compound. For now the health benefits seem to be cardiovascular in nature, but current research is looking into many other potential health benefits.
It probably doesn’t need to be mentioned, but, if you have had alcohol problems the benefits are unlikely to outweigh the risks and if you are pregnant, definitely discuss even light to moderate alcohol consumption with your doctor. For everyone else, the research is very conclusive; there are no health benefits and multiple health risks associated with over consumption.
Live long and well.
