Alcohol is arguably man's oldest medicine, observed by the ancient Greeks to be safer than water and used as an antiseptic from the 5th century BC until the discovery of penicilllin. Pliny the Elder wrote (AD 23-79) ' In vino sanitas, in wine there is health'.
Alcohol has always been recognised as a double-edged sword, offering pleasure and relaxation in moderation but both social and health problems in excess.
“Wine and music delight the soul as long as they are used with sobriety” (Eccles 32:6 40:20).
“Whether wine is a nourishment, medicine or poison, is a matter of dosage” (Paracelsus 1493-1541, a German physician and father of modern pharmacology, and also the doctor who gave us the word 'alcohol').
The Potential Lifestyle Benefits of Moderation
The US Dietary Guidelines explain that “Alcohol may have beneficial effects when consumed in moderation” and the Guidelines’ closing paragraph also acknowledges, “Moderate alcohol consumption may have beneficial health effects in some individuals. In middle-aged and older adults, a daily intake of one to two alcoholic beverages per day is associated with the lowest all-cause mortality. More specifically, compared to non-drinkers, adults who consume one to two alcoholic beverages a day appear to have a lower risk of coronary heart disease. In contrast, among younger adults alcohol consumption appears to provide little, if any, health benefit, and alcohol use among young adults is associated with a higher risk of traumatic injury and death.”
The Guidelines acknowledge potential risk reductions for all-cause mortality but cautions that for young people there may be more risks than benefits.
In addition, the Guidelines underscore that a number of dietary and lifestyle elements such as regular exercise, BMI, plenty of fruit and vegetables and a diet low in saturated fat will reduce the risk of chronic diseases”
It is not recommended that anyone begin drinking or drink more frequently on the basis of health considerations. Please visit the diet and lifestyle section of the website for more information via: www.drinkingandyou.com/site/eatwise/eatwise.htm
What the experts say....
The renewed belief that a moderate intake of alcohol could be good for you is based on the mounting body of scientific evidence since the 1980’s that show that modertate consumption of any alcohol appears to reduces the risk of heart disease, our biggest killer by between 25 –40% amongst men over 40 and post menopausal women.
Sir Richard Doll, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford, sums up past attitudes well:
"The Belief that alcohol was bad for health was so ingrained that the idea that small amounts might be good for you was hard to envisage, and it is only in the past ten years that cardiologists and specialists in preventative medicine have begun to take it seriously"
For in depth papers and summaries on alcohol and health, please visit the AIM Gateway to sensible drinking and health. Here, you will find papers and summaries on all areas of alcohol and health. If you have specific questions or queries, please email us via: info@aim-digest.com
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