HEALTH BENEFITS OF MODERATE ALCOHOL USE
RELAXATION AND STRESS REDUCTION
It is perfectly clear that heavy drinking, either
in one session or across decades,
carries with it significant risks to health and safety However, alcohol is not all bad. Used in an informed and
moderate way, alcohol can convey some
health benefits. For example, the similarity of its actions to those of antianxiety medications such as Valium
makes alcohol a potent antianxiety
agent for some people. The feeling of relaxation that accompanies an occasional drink of alcohol can help to
reduce stress, and stress reduction is
healthy. But remember: people who use alcohol heavily or too regularly as a way of coping with the difficulties
in their lives are at considerable
risk for becoming addicted. Ultimately, the use of alcohol for relaxation and stress reduction is a personal
choice that must be made in as
informed a way as possible.
PROTECTION AGAINST HEART DISEASE
There is no doubt that chronic heavy drinking
damages the heart. However, recent studies show that light (and perhaps
moderate) drinkers have a reduced
risk for coronary artery disease—a principal cause of heart attacks. Remember, though, that this research is
still developing, and it is not possible
to arrive at an exact "prescription" of alcohol use for cardiovascular protection. Still, a growing number of
studies suggest that an average of a
half to one and a half drinks per day may significantly lower a person's risk for coronary artery disease.
A study from Harvard
Medical School further supports these early findings—at least in men. A group of more than 22,000 men who ranged in age from forty to eighty-four were studied over
a ten-year period. Compared to men
who drank less than one alcoholic beverage per week on average, those who drank two to four alcoholic
beverages per week were significantly
less likely to die of a heart or circulatory disorder. These light-drinking men also suffered fewer cancers
over the ten-year period. However, among
men who drank two or more drinks per day, the death rate was 51 percent higher. This means that there
is a narrow window for the possible
health benefits of alcohol for men. Two drinks per week seem to be good; two
drinks per day seem to be bad.
For women, however, these findings present a
double-edged sword. Moderate alcohol
drinking appears to reduce the risk of cardiovascular
disease in women. But studies have also shown
that women who drink an average of
three to nine drinks per week are significantly more likely to develop breast cancer than women who do not drink.
Still, the causes of breast cancer
are quite complex and much work remains to determine the exact relationship of alcohol drinking to breast
cancer. Women who choose to drink
moderately, for whatever reasons, should keep in close touch with the latest information related to breast cancer risks.
DIMINISHED RISK OF DEATH
There have now been several large-scale studies,
in both Eastern and Western countries,
indicating that light to moderate
drinking may diminish the risk of
death in middle-aged men. A recent study in China showed that men who drank one to two drinks per day
over a six-and-ahalf-year period
reduced their risk of death
by about 20 percent—a finding that is consistent with studies in European countries. The protective effect was not limited to death from heart disease—the drinkers were also less likely to die from cancer or other causes. Further, the particular type of alcoholic beverage consumed was
inconsequential: Beer drinkers, wine
drinkers, and drinkers of hard
liquor shared equally in the benefits,
as long as their consumption was not more than an average of two drinks per day. Beyond that level the risk of
death was increased by about 30 percent. Alcohol appears to have some similar protective effects in women. But, as just noted, women are also more
vulnerable to some of the negative effects of alcohol, so most studies suggest
no more than one drink per day for
women.
The
bottom line seems to be that if you want
to get the medicinal effects of alcohol, you have to take it
like medicine—a little at a time.
