U.S. Government Agrees on Medical Benefits of Alcohol

By Dr. W. Gifford Jones

October 14, 2000

For years everyone has pussy-footed over the facts about the medical benefits of alcohol. Even its supporters haven't had the intestinal fortitude to level with the public. Now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has finally had the courage to tell it the way it is.

Opponents of alcohol consumption have always argued, "We can't advise people to drink because some people abuse alcohol. This results in increased deaths from drunken drivers, cirrhosis of the liver and problems in the home and work place."

But there will always be people who abuse anything. Yet we don't refuse to sell cars because some idiots drive 120 mph or while drunk.

It's therefore ethically wrong to keep the good news about alcohol from most of the population who are not imbeciles or addicts.

So my congratulations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for finally making the move. It claims the evidence of the benefits of alcohol is so strong that it was necessary to include this information in the latest dietary guidelines.

The USDA documented what's been known for years. Moderate drinking offers health benefits. Those who use alcohol wisely have fewer heart attacks, strokes and are less likely to die than teetotallers.

The cardioprotective benefits of alcohol primarily apply to men over 45 years of age and women over 55. For these people moderate drinking decreased the risk of heart attack by 20 to 40 percent and for stroke 45 percent.

But there are other surprising benefits. A report from Johns Hopkins University stresses non-cardiac benefits of alcohol.

For instance, 8,500 men between the ages of 30 and 79, were evaluated at a Texas clinic. Those who consumed from 5 to 10 drinks a week had a much lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than those who consumed less.

A German study of 1,800 people revealed another interesting fact. We now know that the Heliobacter organism causes 90 percent of stomach ulcers. Researchers discovered that as alcohol consumption increased, the chance of this organism being present decreased. But just as there's a reasonable speed limit for cars is mandatory, there's also an upper limit for alcohol use. For women it's one drink a day and two for men.

One drink means 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine and 1.5 oz of 80 proof distilled spirits. And it's prudent to consume alcohol with food.

Why twice as much alcohol for men? It's not another example of male chauvinism. It's because women have less of the enzyme that clears the blood of alcohol. Women also have less water in their body tissue which tends to prolong the effects of alcohol. ¡ Routinely having more than one or two drinks daily sets the stage for a number of problems. For example, in the diabetic study, more than 10 drinks weekly doubled the risk of acquiring Type 2 diabetes.

As you would expect, excessive drinking was associated with increased automobile accidents, suicides and violent behaviour. Heavy drinkers also are at increased risk of cirrhosis, cancer of the pancreas, hypertension and three times the risk of stroke.

There are also times when a definite "no" to alcohol is necessary. This relates to people with liver and kidney disease, pancreatitis and congestive heart failure. And those who can never stop at two drinks.

People must also exercise caution who are taking either prescription or over-the-counter medication. Some of this medication can interact with alcohol.

So what is the best alcoholic drink to promote a long and healthy life? Alcohol in any form helps to increase good cholesterol and decrease bad cholesterol. It also adds oil to the circulation by making platelets more slippery with less chance of forming fatal blood clots. And alcohol also dilates arteries.

Serge Renaud, a researcher at France's National Institute of Health is a staunch supporter of red wine. He's right that it's loaded with antioxidants which prevent the oxidation of bad cholesterol, the cause of plaque in arteries. Red wine also contains resveratol, a substance believed to be cardioprotective. ¡ I tell my middle-aged and elderly patients who are moderate drinkers to continue drinking. And that they should remember Sir William Oslers sage advice, that "alcohol is for the elderly what milk is for the young."

Next week. "You're Going To Do What?" Why I said I'd never write a book about my life and why I changed my mind.

W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com

My book, �90 + How I Got There� can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:

Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1

Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones

Canada Free Press, CFP Editor Judi McLeod