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Booze. The Sauce. Liquid Courage. No matter what you call it, the names all refer to the same thing: alcohol. Some tell us alcohol is responsible for everything from impure thoughts to social degeneracy. Others tell us that if it weren’t for alcohol, the Irish would have ruled the world long ago. And still others say that it’s supportive of good health. Regardless of which way you lean, the consensus is that parties are much more lively and embarrassing with ample amounts of the hard stuff.

[From here out, I'm going to use the term "drinking" to mean "in moderation".]

Why Is It Good For You?

Supposedly alcohol in moderation (one drink a day for women, two for men) is good for your heart. It also appears that it raises HDL cholesterol levels, helps prevent blood clots, and allows the heart to pump blood more freely. Alcohol has even been linked to improved insulin sensitivity, decreasing the chance of developing Type II diabetes. Of course, that has to be balanced against the empty calories and the propensity of too much alcohol to play with the sex hormones. One study in the New England Journal of Medicine even showed that amongst older women, drinking was associated with 23% less decline in mental function.

What Should I Drink?

So if you choose to imbibe a bit, is there a particular alcohol that is more supportive of good health than others? At least one study says, it’s the alcohol itself, not the form in which you choose to enjoy it, that provides the purported benefits. Other studies point to red wine as the cure to your heart ills.

What exactly is it about wine that’s supposed to be so good for us? Flavonoids and reservatrol. Reservatrol is an antioxidant, believed to be capable of lowering cholesterol and helping to prevent atherosclerosis. Flavonoids are also antioxidants and are proclaimed to be useful in fighting cancer. However, Emma The Witch isn’t so impressed, arguing that the two substances aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. A bit of research also shows that flavonoids are unlikely to be beneficial as they are poorly absorbed in the human body.

No way beer could be any good for you though, right? Apparently that’s wrong. The hops in beer contribute polyphenols, which are shown to have “cholesterol-lowering, cancer-fighting, and virus-killing” capabilities. The malting process of the grains also improves the antioxidant content of beer, meaning darker brews have more antioxidant activity. Guinness has been touting its health benefits for ages.

In the end, drink what you enjoy. If you don’t like wine, have a beer. If you don’t like beer, have some wine. Nothing wrong with liquor either; a shot of good bourbon or scotch on the rocks or a bit of tequila with a dash of lime juice are also just fine. Sure, if you’re avoiding grains completely, the beer has to go, along with any grain-based liquors like whiskey and gin, but that’s a decision for you to make.

How Much Is One Drink?

“They said I could have one drink, but they didn’t specify the size.”

I’m sure we’ve all heard this before, but it never hurts to revisit details for the purpose of ingraining them. One drink is:

• 12 ounces of beer
• 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits
• 5 ounces of wine

That means a pint of beer is already 1 1/3 drinks. When you order cocktails at a restaurant or bar, you’re likely getting more than just 1.5 ounces as well. And when drinking wine by the bottle at a restaurant, the waiter is typically pretty adept at topping off your glass so you have no idea how much you’ve consumed and will consume more. Just a few things to take note of.

Things To Watch For

The biggest thing to watch out for is the mixers. Most cocktails come with one or more juices, syrups, and soft drinks. These things can pack an unbelievable sugar load that’s certainly doing your body no favors. With beer, you’re essentially dealing with liquid grains and I believe there is still gluten in the beer that can cause a reaction in celiacs.

And with wine, there are several potential issues. As this article points out, vines are sprayed with any manner of chemicals to prevent pests and fungus growth. Some vineyards use organic chemicals to treat their plants, while most don’t. Since the grapes aren’t washed before fermentation, it sounds like organic is the way to go with wine. The oak aging barrels of some wines may leech the toxic chemical 2,4,6-Tribromophenol into wine. The solution there is to buy non-oak aged wine.

Finally, watch out for the munchies when you overindulge. After a toddy too many, you could drink a big glass of water and head for the sack, sleep it off, and wake up tomorrow no worse for wear, perhaps with just a headache and a head fog. Unfortunately, all manner of sweet, salty, and fried foods start to sound amazingly delicious, especially if it’s 2 am and you’ve been going at it hard all night. Avoid the tacos and burritos, candy bars, French fries, and Sour Cream n Onion potato chips and just have your designated driver or a taxi pour you off (I mean, drop you off) at your house.

Final Thoughts

Every time I see these proclamations of alcohol’s purported health benefits, I have to wonder what kind of population was used for the study. Some of the studies linked above show that one to two drinks relaxes arterial walls. Combine that with the fact that alcohol is a blood thinner and you can see that we have reduced the amount of work the heart has to do. Considering that most US citizens (and most other Industrialized nations aren’t far behind) are overweight and hypertensive, it makes sense that a drink or two per day would help their heart last a bit longer. I always wonder how these effects benefit those of us that eat a proper diet, maintain a proper weight, and have blood pressure in the normal range. Could the blood thinning properties negatively affect us?

I covered a bit of my thoughts on alcohol in the Nutrition 102 post. To summarize, I don’t think it’s the most detrimental thing you can consume, but it’s certainly not something you should make a staple of your diet. The good news is that one, or even two drinks a day is unlikely to cause you any harm. As we all know, living a healthful life also involves selectively choosing our vices. If a delicious Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, a jigger of Don Eduardo Anejo, or a 15-year Burgundy is what makes your day complete, then have it.

But we’re not playing the Averages Game here. You can’t have ten every Saturday and check the box next to “1-2 drinks per day” on a survey, proclaiming that, on average, that’s what you have. Ten drinks is doing damage. If you’re a teetotaler, I don’t see any reason to start drinking as a means of being healthier. If you’re a moderate drinker (remember, one per day is okay), stick with it; it’s probably doing you no harm and could potentially have some benefits. And if you’re a heavy drinker, it’s time to tone it down if you really want to live as long and healthy a life as possible.

What are your thoughts on alcoholic beverages? A fine addition to an otherwise proper diet or The Devil’s Handiwork? Do you enjoy a tipple now and again? How often and what is your beverage of choice?

Disclaimer: I work for a company in the alcoholic beverages industry.

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