There is lots of conflicting information about the perceived health benefits of red wine and alcohol generally. Here’s what you need to know.
Many of us have heard of the French paradox: despite the fact that French people have a diet high in fat, cholesterol, and alcohol in the form of red wine, France has a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease than the US. We see articles like “7 Science-backed Benefits of Drinking Red Wine” juxtaposed with stern warnings from health authorities about the dangers of alcohol consumption. While there are some beneficial compounds in red wine, these nutrients can be found elsewhere; the fact is, there are far more risks with drinking alcohol than benefits.
Just last month, the World Health Organization published a statement in The Lancet Public Health that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health. Alcohol has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer decades ago – this is the highest risk group, which also includes asbestos, radiation and tobacco. This has nothing to do with the type of quality of the alcoholic beverage; it is the ethanol that causes cancer as it breaks down in the body. The more you consume, the greater the cancer risk.
The US Dietary Guidelines have a recommended daily limit on alcohol consumption of two drinks per day for men and one for women, but research is indicating that even these levels can pose a risk for cancer and heart disease.
Alcohol causes health problems by damaging DNA. When we imbibe, the body metabolizes it into acetaldehyde, a chemical that is toxic to cells. Acetaldehyde damages DNA and prevents the body from repairing the damage; cells that are damaged can grow out of control and create a cancer tumor. Alcohol also creates oxidative stress that is particularly harmful to cells that line arteries, which can lead to coronary artery disease. Metabolism of the alcohol in the liver is pro-inflammatory; chronic inflammation is a hallmark of seven of the ten leading causes of death in the US.
But we are told that red wine in moderation is heart protective. Red wine does contain resveratrol, a compound found in the skin of grapes, that is an important antioxidant with many health benefits. But the finding that red wine at low doses was heart protective could have arisen from the fact that people who drink small amounts tend to have other healthy habits like exercising, eating well, and not smoking. More recent research has found that even low levels of drinking slightly increase the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Drinking even moderate or low amounts can have a negative impact on the brain, too. This casts some doubt on the government dietary guidelines that tell us to limit alcohol intake to two drinks a day for men and one for women; perhaps they should recommend against any alcohol intake, period.
When it comes to red wine, the juice may not be worth the squeeze (pardon the pun!) for our health, particularly when one of the main reasons given for the health benefits of red wine, resveratrol, can be obtained from a variety of other sources: you can take it as a supplement, and it is also found in grape juice, peanuts, cocoa, blueberries, cranberries, and bilberries. Additionally, the resveratrol content in wine is usually quite low.
Many of my friends, even after getting breast cancer they refuse to stop drinking wine. When questioned they said their doctors did not tell them to stop it. I respond that it is because their doctors also drink wine and they may not want to be seen as hypocrites. The data and science is available which shows there is a definitive link between alcohol and breast cancer or any kind of cancer. I shake my head when doctors fail to do their job. In my humble opinion, alcohol is a slow poison for women, but by the time they realize it, it is a little late. I am for drinking just once in a while and that is just a few times a year! I work in the medical industry and there is an epidemic of what is killing women and what I see is the wine/beer silent killer that hardly ever gets attention.
Thank you for this clear article. Years ago a native healer told me flat out that “alcohol is poison.” I enjoyed wine, but it is impossible to drink it with that phrase ringing in my ears.
Drinking a quality wine is for ‘enjoyment’, more than something you seek out as a health supplement. If you enjoy a good cabernet sauvignon with your grass-fed steak, just don’t drink large amounts, a few ounces with your meal is not as detrimental as they make it sound. Your body makes acetaldehyde dehydrogenase to metabolize small amounts of alcohol without damaging your body. More importantly, finding a good organic wine, since grapes are sprayed pretty heavily in some wine growing regions.
Not a word about how deaths on the road are mostly due to alcohol. Not a word about it’s very high addictive quality, leading to more and more. It is poison, unless just used to toast the bride and groom at weddings etc. And only as ritual. But our culture has been drunk for 100s of years.
Dear Sirs/Madame:
I disagree with some of the content of your article. I learned drinking quality red wine in my late twenties in Paris, France and statistics
clearly indicate that in countries like Italy, Spain, France and Portugal have to lowest heart attacks and strokes but the highest liver cirrosis due to too much red wine.
I have a number of books about read wine who indicate that one glass of red wine with a warm meal does not heard you but prevents blood clotting, disoves blood clots and therefore preventing heart attacks and strokes!
I have been drinking one glass of red wine for almost 65 years, prepare my own meal daily, don’t smoke, exercise and also have a positive attitude towards life and fully enjoy a healthy life at the fullest without taking prescription pills but health supplements and enjoy life at the fullest of the age of 85 years “young!”
Klaus Ferlow, Master Herbalist, Herbal Advocate, Roberts Creek, British Columbia, Canada
You can look at the “case” from many different angles.
https://oem.bmj.com/content/61/2/e8
The inhibition of mercury absorption by dietary ethanol in humans: cross-sectional and case-control studies