Alcohol, wine, and health

• Published in: The American journal of surgery 2000-11, Vol.180 (5), p.357-361
• Main Author: de Lorimier, Alfred A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Age Factors; Age related diseases; Aged; Alcohol Drinking - adverse effects; Alcohol use; Alcoholic beverages; Angina pectoris; Arterial hypertension. Arterial hypotension; Aspirin; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Beer; Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Bone Density; Breast cancer; Breast Neoplasms - epidemiology; Breast Neoplasms - prevention & control; Calculi; Cancer; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Cholelithiasis - epidemiology; Cholelithiasis - prevention & control; Cholesterol; Clinical manifestations. Epidemiology. Investigative techniques. Etiology; Cognitive ability; Cohort Studies; Consumption; Diabetes; Epidemiology; Esophagus; Eye diseases; Female; Gallstones; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms - epidemiology; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms - prevention & control; Health; Health risks; Heart attacks; High density; High density lipoprotein; Humans; Hypertension; Ischemia; Kidney Calculi - epidemiology; Kidney Calculi - prevention & control; Macular degeneration; Macular Degeneration - epidemiology; Macular Degeneration - prevention & control; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mortality; Nephrolithiasis; Nitric oxide; Peptic ulcers; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Platelet aggregation; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies; Respiratory tract infection; Respiratory Tract Infections - epidemiology; Respiratory Tract Infections - prevention & control; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Smoking; Smoking - adverse effects; Stroke; Stroke - epidemiology; Stroke - prevention & control; Vascular diseases; Wine; Wines; Womens health
• ISSN: 0002-9610; 1879-1883
• DOI: 10.1016/S0002-9610(00)00486-4

Background: For the past 20 years numerous epidemiological studies have correlated the consumption of alcohol and a variety of disease states: overall mortality, arteriosclerotic vascular diseases, hypertension, cancers, peptic ulcer, respiratory infections, gall stones, kidney stones, age-related macular degeneration, bone density, and cognitive function. Methods: A review of these articles reveals that each of these studies has compared the outcome of individuals at various levels of alcohol consumption with that of abstainers. Results: Each analysis has identified a U-shaped or J-shaped curve of reduced relative risk for a given disease state compared with abstainers. A clear definition of consumption in moderation becomes evident: for men it should not exceed 2 to 4 drinks per day, and for women it should not exceed 1 to 2 drinks per day. Conclusions: Alcohol by itself has favorable effects on the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and inhibition of platelet aggregation. Wine, particularly red wine, has high levels of phenolic compounds that favorably influence multiple biochemical systems, such as increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, antioxidant activity, decreased platelet aggregation and endothelial adhesion, suppression of cancer cell growth, and promotion of nitric oxide production.