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Alcohol and the heart |
Alcohol and the heart |
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Alcohol and cancer |
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Women and Alcohol |
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Alcohol and diabetes |
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Drinking as you get older? |
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Alcohol and it's effects |
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Alcohol and allergies |
 What the Doctor says |
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If you combine moderate drinking with the other heart healthy lifestyle recommendations of thirty minutes exercise a day, staying slim, eating a mediterranean style diet low in animal fats, high in fiber, fruits, cereals and vegetables and not smoking, you reduce your risk of heart attack by up to 80%, of late onset diabetes by up to 92% (Stampfer, Hu, Chiuve et al 2006), and stroke by up to 69% (Chuive, Rimm et al 2006).
Please visit www.aim-digest.com/gateway/index.htm for specific studies and references.
How does alcohol protect my heart?
Alcohol, in any form, favorably alters the balance of fats or lipids in the blood, by stimulating the liver to produce the 'good' high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). HDL removes the 'bad' low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) from arteries and veins for disposal via the bile, which is referred to as reverse cholesterol transport.
Alcohol also inhibits excessive coagulation or the clotting together of red blood cells by reducing their ‘stickiness’, and facilitates the breakdown of blood clots.
Red wine, dark beer and traditional ciders also contain phenolic compounds. Phenolic compounds or antioxidants also help to stop clots forming and enhance the relaxation of blood vessel walls, allowing better blood flow. Although the phenolic compounds are shown to be antioxidants in the test tube, it is uncertain whether they inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol in animals and humans, and hence prevent the build up of cholesterol in arteries, which is referred to as hardening of the arteries.
Regular moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke mainly in men aged over 40 years and in post-menopausal women, when the risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke significantly increase.
| The Mediterranean Diet |
A paper in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that “greater adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with a significant reduction in total mortality” (Trichopoulou et al. 2003). This conclusion, supported by a 30-year follow-up study in seven countries, considered the association between diet and cardiovascular disease and cancer (Farchi et al. 1992, 2000).
Beneficial components of a Mediterranean-style diet include the daily consumption of fruits, vegetables and wine, which typically contain a high concentration of phenolic compounds and are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. The amount of wine associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease is generally considered as 2-3 glasses of wine containing 10 g of ethanol per day - that is one and a half to 2 and a half US standard drinks(Jackson et al. 1992, Palomaki and Kaste 1993).
Conversely, binge drinking, which is considered to be the consumption of more than 5 standard drinks per drinking session, is seen to significantly increase systolic blood pressure, which significantly increases the risk of coronary heart disease or stroke (Hillbom and Kaste 1981, Kozarevic et al. 1983, Hillbom et al. 1984, Donahue et al. 1986, Suhonen et al. 1987, Renaud and Ruf 1996).
What the experts say
The National Stroke Association Prevention Advisory Board states that “studies now show that drinking up to two drinks per day can reduce your risk for stroke by about half. More alcohol than this can increase your risk for stroke by as much as three times.”
Please note, however, that drinking heavily significantly increases the risk of a hemorrhagic stroke.
