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Toasting Good Health
By Bonnie Jenkins, Advanced Natural Medicine Bulletin
As we get ready to ring in the New Year, many of us will be offering up the traditional toast. But how healthy is that glass of wine or champagne? If you're confused about whether drinking alcohol is smart for your health, join the club. Studies on the pros and cons of drinking are broadcast regularly – and they never agree.
On one hand, red wine may be good for your heart and could slow down the aging process. Conversely, too much alcohol can do a real number on your liver and your brain cells. So, when it comes to alcohol, what does "healthy drinking" really mean?
The good news
Occasional drinkers may have fewer heart attacks and strokes than abstainers and those who drink more heavily. That's because a little alcohol can raise levels of good HDL cholesterol and can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by helping prevent blood clots in the arteries.
If you’re looking to lower cholesterol, opt for red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, red Zinfandel and other red wines contain two compounds that can reign in cholesterol levels. The first is one you may have heard of: resveratrol. Several studies have found that resveratrol blocks cholesterol oxidation.
But red wine’s benefits don’t stop there. A little red wine could help prevent some cancers, including colon, pancreatic and prostate cancer, by causing cancer cells to commit suicide. One study conducted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi also found that resveratrol may help counteract the drop in glutathione and motor impairment that occurs in the hours after a stroke.
The most exciting news about resveratrol comes from researchers at Harvard Medical School. It seems that the compound mimics the life-extending effects of calorie restriction. (Scientists have known for years that a nutrient-dense diet that restricts calories dramatically reduces the incidence of age-related diseases like cancer, osteoporosis and heart disease.)
The Harvard team tested resveratrol on yeast organisms and found that the antioxidant extended the yeast’s life span by up to 80 percent. While this research is admittedly very preliminary, the researchers speculate that red wine could have the same effect on humans.
Resveratrol isn’t the only key to red wine’s health benefits. Researchers at the University of California-Davis recently found that red wine contains saponins, compounds that bind to and prevent the absorption of cholesterol. And pterostilbene, another compound in wine grapes, posses anti-diabetic properties.
Easy does it
But what if you don’t like red wine? Can drinking a martini or a beer also keep you healthy? Maybe it can. Numerous studies have found that moderate drinking in general can lower the risk of Type II diabetes and heart disease. And there is new evidence that links light to moderate drinking with a reduced risk of dementia in people over the age of 55.
Before you belly up to the bar, be aware that there may be a couple of exceptions when it comes to hard liquor. A new study by New York’s Stony Brook University has found that, of the more than 2,000 volunteers who took part in the study, those who consume more than nine cocktails a week were three times more likely to develop colorectal cancer. And heavy beer drinkers double their risk. On the other hand, those that drank wine actually lowered their risk of cancer.
According to some experts, alcohol consumption – even in small amounts – may also raise your risk of breast cancer. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, moderate drinkers may be boosting their risk by as much as 50 to 100 percent.
But results from the Framingham Heart Study in Massachusetts, suggests that's not the case. In fact, according to this study, alcohol may have chemopreventive qualities against several types of breast cancer. Another study that recently appeared in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention has found that moderate drinking may also protect against benign breast disease.
The watchword in all of this, of course, is moderation. For men, that means fewer than two drinks a day. Women should limit themselves to no more than one drink a day. People who drink alcohol in amounts that exceed the limits of moderation have higher death rates than do moderate drinkers, primarily from liver disease, high blood pressure, alcohol-related heart diseases and some types of cancer.
So go ahead – greet the New Year with a glass of bubbly . . . or better yet some red wine. Just don’t go overboard. And don’t forget those resolutions!
One last thing . . .
Even though sensible drinking is good for you on a number of fronts, it can still be hard on your liver. Studies have shown that silymarin, a mixture of active compounds in milk thistle, not only protects the liver from toxins, but it can actually regenerate liver tissue damaged by disease.
To protect your liver when you're drinking, most naturopathic doctors and herbalists recommend taking a milk thistle product daily. Look for one that contains 200 to 400 mg. of silymarin. Also, be sure to take a B-complex vitamin supplement or a multivitamin. Alcohol destroys thiamin (vitamin B1), increasing alcohol's toxicity to the nervous system.
This just in . . .
A while back, I told you how probiotics can help reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. But another substance, known as prebiotics, can thwart bad microbes before they can do any harm by preventing pathogens from binding to the intestine and by increasing the growth of probiotic bacteria in the large intestine (the colon).
But you won’t find prebiotics at your local health food store. No one has come up with a way to put these gastrointestinal good guys in pill form. That may, however, be changing.
A scientist at the US Agricultural Research Service, along with researchers at the University of Reading in the UK, have found that pectin (found in citrus peel and apples) acts like a prebiotic. Based on their research, the team is developing a cost-effective way to snag the prebiotics out of these foods.
Don’t hold your breath, though. It could be years before prebiotics are available in supplement form. Until then, you can get all of the prebiotics you need through a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.
***
References:
Frost G. “Study: Red wine molecule shown to extend life.” Reuters. 25 August 2003.
Gordon S. “Hard alcohol ups risk of colon cancer.” HealthScout. 13 October 2003.
Morris GZ, et al. “Resveratrol induces apoptosis in LNCaP cells and requires hydroxyl groups to decrease viability in LNCaP and DU 145 cells.” Prostate. 2002;52:319-329.
Nakanishi N, et al. “Alcohol consumption and risk for development of impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes in middle-aged Japanese men.” Diabetes Care. 2003;26:48-54.
“Pectin carries prebiotic properties.” NutraIngredients. 15 September 2003.
Ruitenberg A, et al. “Alcohol consumption and risk of dementia: The Rotterdam Study.” Lancet. 2002;359:281-286.
Sinha K, et al. “Protective effect of resveratrol against oxidative stress in middle cerebral artery occlusion model of stroke in rats.” Life Science. 2002;71:655-665. |
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