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MOTL: Alcohol can do more harm than good Teetotalers shouldn't worry about missing out on health benefits of drinking Date published: 10/17/2004
"SHOULD I START drinking?" a teeto- taler with high cholesterol asked me last week. He had heard it would be good for his heart. "No," I said. Though alcohol may help the heart in some ways, it has many drawbacks, as well, so I wouldn't recommend that someone start drinking. If you already enjoy an occasional drink, though, you don't need to give it up. The risks and benefits of alcohol are complicated. Though it may protect the heart, it seems to raise the risk of certain cancers. Excessive drinking is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States and is associated with liver damage, several cancers, car accidents, violence, suicide, birth defects, pancreatic problems and brain damage. In high doses, alcohol does not protect the heart but actually increases blood pressure and the risk of strokes and sudden death. Alcohol killed about 75,000 Americans in 2001, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it shortened their lives an average of 30 years. Still, drinking small amounts of alcohol seems to reduce the risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes and dementia, according to scientific studies. The effects appear to be related to the alcohol itself, not the type of drink. Although no one seems entirely sure how it helps, one of the theories is that alcohol protects by raising the heart-healthy HDL-cholesterol . Beyond the alcohol in it, red wine may have additional benefits. It contains an antioxidant called resveratrol, which may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. However, you also can get resveratrol from eating purple grapes and purple grape juice. Smaller amounts are found in peanuts. Before you reach for a glass of beer or wine, consider that the data we have is not entirely clear. A study released in September showed that when black men drank, they had a higher risk of heart disease, while white men had lower risks. Researchers say that it's unlikely that alcohol affects blacks and whites differently. Instead, it may be that different lifestyles are responsible. The study raises the question of whether alcohol actually protects the heart. Even if alcohol does protect the heart, there are more effective and nonaddictive things you can try first. These fall into two categories: problems to treat and new behaviors to try.
1. Be respectful. No personal attacks.
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