There has been much controversy regarding the association between alcohol intake and cardiovascular disease, the leading global cause of death.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), in 2019, 86 percent of adults in the United States reported consuming an alcoholic beverage.

Moreover, 14.5 million people in the U.S. aged 12 years or older live with alcohol use disorder (AUD). The NIAAA offers that Alcohol use disorder is marked by “an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences.”

Approximately 95,000 Americans die annually from alcohol-related causes. This number makes alcohol the third largest preventable death cause.

It has long been recognized that the problems with alcohol relate not to the use of a bad thing but to the abuse of a good thing. — Abraham Lincoln

On the one hand, observational studies show a lower risk of cardiovascular disease with light to moderate alcohol intake than abstinence or heavy consumption. There appears to be a J- or U-shaped epidemiologic association.

On the other hand, these supposed heart benefits of alcohol may be secondary to confounding factors, including a favorable lifestyle (and behavioral and socioeconomic factors associated with modest alcohol drinking).

Today we try to get clarity by examining the pooled results of 107 studies involving nearly five million subjects. After analysis, study co-author Tim Stockwell offs this insight:

“We just need to be very skeptical of scientific evidence or scientific studies suggesting there are health benefits.”

Red wine — a traditional view

Moderate consumption of red wine has been associated with potential health benefits. Still, it’s important to note that these benefits are not a one-size-fits-all solution and may vary based on individual factors.

Red wine contains antioxidants, such as resveratrol, linked to cardiovascular health benefits. Resveratrol may improve cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of blood clots.

Additionally, the polyphenols found in red wine have anti-inflammatory properties, which may help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

However, it’s important to remember that moderation might be a key to reaping the alleged health benefits of red wine. Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of several health issues, including liver disease, high blood pressure, and some types of cancer.

A new study raises questions about the traditional view that moderate alcohol consumption improves health and lengthens life.

Alcohol consumption, health, and longevity

In a new sweeping analysis, researchers discovered the following:

Despite a widespread belief that moderate alcohol consumption is good for you, the more you drink, the higher your risk of early death.

The review analyzed research on nearly five million individuals’ drinking and health habits. The study is one of the largest to undermine the belief that moderate drinking of wine (or other alcoholic beverages) is healthy.

The new study also discovered that drinking relatively low levels of alcohol — 25 grams daily for women (less than one ounce) and 45 grams (roughly 1.5 ounces) or more daily for men — increased the risk of death.

In the United States, a standard drink (5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits) typically has about 14 grams of alcohol.

Alcohol consumption study — context

The findings align with a British study from last year: Researchers examined the genetic and medical data of nearly 400,000 people. They concluded that even low alcohol intake was associated with increased disease risk.

In this cohort study of over 371,000 individuals, genetic evidence supported a non-linear, consistently risk-increasing link between all alcohol amounts, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease.

The “J-curve might not exist when it comes to alcohol consumption level and disease risk. There were modest risk increases with light alcohol intake and exponentially greater risk increases at higher consumption levels.

In summary, alcohol intake at all levels appears to be associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk.

My take on alcohol consumption and health

This study shows that moderate alcohol consumption does not promote health. In general, less alcohol appears to be better regarding health.

You may have heard of the “French paradox,” suggesting that low cardiovascular disease rates (among men in France) appeared to be associated with daily wine consumption. Subsequent analyses revealed research flaws.

If you are keeping score, be careful: The alcohol industry funded much of the research examining the effects of alcohol on health. A recent report showed that the industry has directly or indirectly paid for 13,500 studies.

Moreover, historical research often failed to adjust for confounders such as lifestyle (for example, exercise, diet, and smoking), sex, age, and socioeconomic status. The current study attempted to remove such biases and discovered no significant reductions in the risk of death among moderate drinkers.

So why did previous research show a “J-shaped” curve — with lower heart attack rates among those consuming low or moderate alcohol amounts, with higher rates at the extremes — these studies were deeply flawed. The light-to-moderate drinkers were generally healthier than non-drinkers on physical activity, diet, weight, income, and dental hygiene measures.

In addition, abstainers from alcohol may avoid drinking because of health problems. Historical research did not control for such biases. Sometimes, being able to drink is a sign that you are still healthy, not the cause of it.

Let’s end with the words of researcher Professor Dr. Ulrich John:

“Our study is one of the very few that asked for details [about the] former life of the abstainers, details that may be known risk factors for early death. Our study is perhaps the only one so far that includes a standardized diagnosis of former alcohol or drug dependence, i.e., a severe health disorder that may explain short time to death.”

We might need to rethink the notion that daily drinking of moderate alcohol amounts promotes health. My takeaway is not that all should avoid alcohol; rather, it may not be the health potion many believe it to be.

What say you?

The post Are One or Two Drinks Daily Better Than Abstaining? appeared first on Medika Life.

I HAD GRAPES AT BREAKFAST TODAY. My favorites are red, but I love purple ones (and green ones less so). Give me the seedless variety, and I am overjoyed. I like grape jelly, too. What about you?

Did you know that grapes are the world’s leading fruit in tons of production? Not apples or oranges. The numerous varieties add up to a cumulative 72 million tons every year.

Grapes are berries that grow on a vine. Because of their taste, versatility, variety, and portability, I am not alone: Folks love grapes worldwide.

Today, we turn to some of the many health benefits of grapes. First, a bit of history. In the end, I want to share new research showing how grapes can increase the biome diversity of your gut and lower cholesterol levels.

Grapes — A brief history

Here’s what I have learned from Grapes: A Brief History: Grape culture may be as old as civilization itself. Archaeological evidence shows humans growing grapes as far back as 6500 B.C. By 4000 B.C., grape growing extended from Transcaucasia to Asia Minor and through Egypt’s Nile Delta. In 1700 B.C. Hammurabi of Babylon likely introduced the world’s first liquor laws.

The Hittites spread grape culture westward as they migrated to Create, Bosporus, and Thrace as early as 3000 B.C. The Greeks and Phoenicians subsequently extended grape growing to Carthage, Sicily, southern Italy, Spain, and France. With Roman influence, grape production spread throughout the European continent.

At the fall of the Roman Empire, grape culture and winemaking appeared associated mainly with monasteries. Later, wine use extended outside the religious realm and became a central part of the culture. Grape culture grew from the 16th to the 20th century.

Today, we primarily use grapes for wine, dried fruit (raisins), and my favorite activity — just eating the fresh ones.

Use grapes for health — What’s in them

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) informs us that one cup of my preferred red (or green) grapes weighing approximately 1541 grams has approximately 104 kilocalories, 1 gram of protein, 0.24 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbohydrates (of which 23 grams is sugars).

In addition, you get 1.4 grams of fiber, 288 grams of potassium, 15 milligrams of calcium, 0.5 milligrams of iron, and 11 milligrams of magnesium. You also consume 30 milligrams of phosphorus, 3 milligrams of zinc, 5 milligrams of vitamin C, 22 micrograms of vitamin K, and three micrograms of folate.

You can count on vitamin A and D, high water content, and antioxidants. The last include lutein and zeaxanthin. You may have heard about the phytochemical resveratrol, which may have significant health benefits in the grape’s skin.

Oh, one more thing: The flavonoids myricetin and quercetin may help your body to counteract harmful free radical formation.

Use grapes for health — In the news

A few days ago, this headline caught my eye: “Effect of Standardized Grape Powder Consumption on the Gut Microbiome of Healthy Subjects: A Pilot Study.”

Los Angeles (USA)-based researchers aimed to discover the potential health upsides of grapes. They asked 19 healthy volunteers to eat a special diet, one low in polyphenols and fiber, for four weeks.

Next, each participant consumed the same diet with 46 grams daily of grape powder. Forty-six grams is the equivalent of two servings of grapes. The subjects provided blood, stool, and urine samples during both experiment stages.

After four weeks of grape powder supplement consumption, every volunteer increased gut microbiome biodiversity. Such increases tend to be associated with a more robust immune system.

Akkermansia bacteria (which favorably influence blood sugar levels and cholesterol metabolism) increased. Correspondingly, the participants decreased overall cholesterol levels by approximately 6 percent and a drop in “bad” cholesterol (LDL) by 6 percent.

Finally, bile steroid acids (which play a role in cholesterol metabolism) dropped by nearly half (41 percent).

My take? Eating grapes can improve gut biome diversity and also lower blood cholesterol levels.

Use grapes for health — action

You may want to consider putting grapes into your diet as a healthy snack or a tasty addition to your smoothie. A serving is about 32 seedless grapes or one cup.

Most of the nutrients are in the skin, so eat the skin. Unfortunately, pesticides can coat grape skins — the fruit is number six on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list, which compiles the fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides in the United States. Wash your grapes thoroughly or buy organic ones (but still wash).

If you are a wine consumer, you know the drill: Keep your alcohol consumption in moderation; that is, don’t let your vino intake go past one (for women) or two (for men) standard drinks daily.

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