My wife drinks white wine. Many of my friends don’t like red wine, either. I break down and drink beer instead of red wine from time to time myself. But there is good news. Any alcohol, especially wine, is remarkably good for you in moderation. Here’s why:
Drink For Your Health
Men who drink alcohol every day have a lower risk of heart disease than those who drink less frequently, suggests research in the British Medical Journal. It is widely known that moderate drinkers have a lower risk of coronary heart disease than those who abstain, but most research in this field has been done on men and little is known about drinking patterns and risk of heart disease among women.
Researchers in Denmark studied over 50,000 men and women aged 50-65 years who were taking part in a national health study. Details on alcohol intake and drinking frequency over the preceding year were collected, and participants were monitored for an average of 5.7 years.
Coronary heart events were recorded and results were adjusted for known risk factors, such as age, smoking, education, physical activity and diet.
A total of 28,448 women and 25,052 men took part in the study. Women consumed an average of 5.5 alcoholic drinks a week and men consumed 11.3. During the study, 749 women and 1,283 men developed coronary heart disease.
Women who drank alcohol on at least one day a week had a lower risk of coronary heart disease than women who drank alcohol on less than one day a week.
However, risks were similar for drinking on one day a week (36% reduced risk), or seven days a week (35% reduced risk), suggesting that the amount of alcohol consumed is more important than drinking frequency among women.
In contrast, for men, risks were lowest for the most frequent drinkers. For example, men who drank on one day a week had a 7% reduced risk, while men who drank daily had a 41% reduced risk. This suggests that it doesn’t matter how much men drink, as long as they drink every day.
Moderate drinking lowers women's heart attack risk
Women who regularly enjoy an alcoholic drink or two have a significantly lower risk of having a non-fatal heart attack than women who are life-time abstainers, epidemiologists at the University at Buffalo have shown._
Moderation is the key, however. Women in the study who reported being intoxicated at least once a month were nearly three times more likely to suffer a heart attack than abstainers, results showed.
One difference in the protective pattern among drinkers involved those who drank primarily liquor. Women who preferred liquor to wine experienced a borderline increase in risk of heart attack, results showed.
The study is published in the May 2007 issue of the journal Addiction.__
"These findings have important implications, because heart disease is the leading cause of death for women," said Joan M. Dorn, Ph.D., associate professor of social and preventive medicine in the UB School of Public Health and Health Professions and first author on the study.
Women seem to have a quicker reaction to a smaller amount of alcohol, she noted: "Overdoing it is harmful, and what is too much depends on each individual. In some women, one drink can cause intoxication."__
Moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to lower the risk of heart attack, but most studies have been done with men. The current study compared alcohol drinking volume and drinking patterns of women who had been hospitalized due to a heart attack, with age-matched controls without heart problems.__
Alcohol Consumption = Lower Risk of Heart Disease
Findings from a study of healthy older adults suggest that alcohol’s effect on lipoprotein particle size may play a role in the relationship between alcohol intake and lower risk for coronary heart disease. In the study, alcohol consumption was associated with larger lipoprotein particle sizes and a lower prevalence of small LDL and HDL particles.
Light wine intake = longer life expectancy in men
Drinking a little alcohol every day, especially wine, may be associated with an increase in life expectancy. That’s the conclusion of Dutch researchers who reported the findings of their study at the American Heart Association’s 47th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.
The researchers found that a light intake of alcohol (on average less than one glass per day) was associated with a lower rate of cardiovascular death and death from all causes. When compared to spirits and beer, consumption of small amounts of wine, about a half a glass a day, was associated with the lowest levels of all-cause and cardiovascular deaths.
"Our study showed that long-term, light alcohol intake among middle-aged men was associated not only with lower cardiovascular and all-cause death risk, but also with longer life expectancy at age 50," said Martinette T. Streppel, lead author of the study and a Ph.D. student in the Division of Human Nutrition at Wageningen University and National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in Bilthoven, The Netherlands. "Furthermore, long-term light wine consumption is associated with a further protective effect when compared to that of light-to-moderate alcohol intake of other types."
Previous studies have shown that light to moderate alcohol intake is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular death. However, it remained unclear whether a specific beverage was associated with more benefit and whether the use of long-term alcohol consumption was associated with increased life expectancy. Studies such as this cannot definitively show whether the agent being studied has a causal effect on health.
The Netherlands study — called the Zutphen Study — involved a cohort of 1,373 men born between 1900 and 1920 who were surveyed in detail about alcohol consumption seven times over 40 years. The participants, all from Zutphen, an industrial town in the eastern part of the Netherlands, were followed until death or until the final survey taken among survivors in mid-2000. The surveys included drinking habits, dietary habits, body mass index, smoking habits and the prevalence of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and cancer. The statistics on alcohol consumption were adjusted to account for other risk factors.
The researchers found that long-term, light alcohol intake of less than or equal to 20 grams per day (1 glass of alcoholic beverage contains 10 grams of alcohol, 1 ounce = ~30 mL of alcoholic beverage) compared to no alcohol intake was associated with a 36 percent lower relative risk of all-cause death and a 34 lower relative risk of cardiovascular death. The average long-term daily intake of the men throughout the 40-year study was six grams based on any alcohol intake of more than zero and up to 20 grams. The long-term average intake of six grams of alcohol is equal to one four-ounce beer, one two-ounce glass of wine or one one-ounce glass of spirits, daily.
When the researchers looked independently at wine consumption, the associated risk reduction was greater. Participants who drank on average half a glass, or 1.5 ounces, of wine per day, over a long period, had a 40 percent lower rate of all-cause death and a 48 percent lower incidence of cardiovascular death, compared to the non-wine drinkers.
Researchers said life expectancy was 3.8 years higher in those men who drank wine compared to those who did not drink alcoholic beverages. Life expectancy of wine users was more than two years longer than users of other alcoholic beverages. Men with a long-term alcohol intake less than or equal to 20 grams per day had a 1.6-year-higher life expectancy, compared to those who consumed no alcohol.
Most of the previous studies assessed alcohol intake at baseline; however, in this study researchers collected detailed information seven times over 40 years. "Consumption patterns usually change during life," Streppel said. "This enabled us to study the effects of long-term alcohol intake on mortality." Researchers found that the number of alcohol users nearly doubled from 45 percent in 1960 to 85 percent in the 2000 survey. Average alcohol consumption rose and then fell at various points during the study. Users’ consumption was eight grams a day in 1960, then survivors’ consumption was 18 grams a day in 1985, dropping to 13 grams per day in 2000. The percentage of wine users increased during follow-up from 2 percent in 1960 to more than 40 percent among the survivors in 2000. "One can speculate that a protective effect of light alcohol intake could be due to an increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, or to a reduction in blood clotting, due to an inhibition of platelet aggregation," Streppel said.
Furthermore, red wine consumption may have an additional health benefit because the polyphenolic compounds contained in wine have been seen in animal to interfere with the formation, progression and rupture of atherosclerotic plaques — the build-up of fatty tissue in the arteries that can result in stroke or heart attack.
"Those people who already consume alcoholic beverages should do so lightly (1 to 2 glasses per day) and preferably drink wine," Streppel said. "The cardio-protective effects of alcohol and wine only held up for light alcohol consumption in middle-aged men. Heavy alcohol consumption may cause accidents and diseases such as cancer and cirrhosis of the liver, even though this was not observed in our study. Since alcohol consumption can be addictive, starting to drink alcohol because of its positive health benefits is not advised."
How alcohol or wine might affect cardiovascular risk merits further research, but right now the American Heart Association does not recommend beginning to drink wine or any other form of alcohol to gain these potential benefits. The association does recommend that to reduce your risk you should talk to your doctor about lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure, controlling your weight, getting enough physical activity and following a healthy diet and quit smoking, if you smoke. There is no scientific proof that drinking wine or any other alcoholic beverage can replace these conventional measures.
Alcohol Can Benefit the Hearts of New Drinkers
A Medical University of South Carolina’s (MUSC) Department of Family Medicine study concluded that people who began moderately consuming alcohol in middle-age experience a quick benefit of lower rates of cardiovascular disease morbidity with no change in mortality after four years. In addition, the study found that those who consumed alcohol for the heart health benefits rarely drank more than recommended amounts. The study has been published in the March issue of the American Journal of Medicine, and was conducted by MUSC’s Dana E. King M.D., Arch G. Mainous III, Ph.D, and Mark E. Geesey.
“Most people are aware that moderate alcohol use can be part of a healthy lifestyle, yet current guidelines caution non-drinkers against starting to drink in middle age,” said King, lead author of the study. “We wanted to evaluate whether adopting moderate alcohol consumption in middle-age would lower cardiovascular risk. We were excited to find that moderate alcohol consumption, or one to six servings a week, lowered cardiovascular risk for our participants.”
In contrast to a recently published study in the British Public Library of Science journal, PLoS Medicine, MUSC’s study showed no increase in blood pressure for participants at moderate consumption levels (two drinks per day or fewer for men, one drink per day or fewer for women) during the four years of the study. New moderate drinkers had a 38% lower chance of developing cardiovascular disease than did their persistently non-drinking counterparts. This difference remained after adjustment for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors.
Moderate Drinkers Report Better Health
Moderate drinkers are more likely to report above-average health than lifetime abstainers, light drinkers and heavy drinkers, a new study reveals.
“Our results suggest that a moderate amount of drinking is not necessarily dangerous for most people and may actually be health-enhancing,” said study coauthor Michael French, Ph.D.
However, it is unclear whether moderate drinking leads to better health or whether moderate drinkers simply lead healthier lifestyles, he said.
This finding confirmed much of the clinical evidence on this topic. However, previous research has focused on objective health indicators such as cardiovascular disease, injuries and mortality. “We wanted to see if moderate drinkers are actually feeling better by their own assessment,” said French, professor of health economics at the University of Miami.
Regular Tipple May Curb Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Alcohol cuts the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by up to 50%, reveals research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
The Scandinavian researchers base their findings on more than 2750 people taking part in two separate studies, which assessed environmental and genetic risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis.
Over half the participants (1650) had the disease and had been matched for age, sex, and residential locality with randomly selected members of the general public.
All participants were quizzed about their lifestyle, including how much they smoked and drank. And blood samples were taken to check for genetic risk factors.
The results showed that drinking alcohol was associated with a significantly lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. And the more alcohol was consumed, the lower the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
Among those who drank regularly, the quarter with the highest consumption were up to 50% less likely to develop the disease compared with the half who drank the least.
The effect was the same for both men and women.
Among those with antibodies to a specific group of proteins involved in the development of the disease, alcohol cut the risk most in smokers with genetic risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis.
Smoking is known to be a major environmental risk factor for developing rheumatoid arthritis, and this risk is further increased in those who carry these genetic variants.
The authors conclude that their research reinforces the importance of lifestyle factors in the development of the disease, and that giving up smoking remains the single most important preventive measure.
They point to recent experimental research by other authors, which showed that alcohol protected against the development and severity of rheumatoid arthritis, although it is not clear exactly how it does this.
And they draw parallels with the links between moderate alcohol consumption and a reduced risk of other inflammatory processes, such as cardiovascular disease.
Click here to view the paper in full:_http://press.psprings.co.uk/ard/june/ar86314.pdf
Alcohol’s impact on heart and stroke risk may differ for men, women
The volume of alcohol consumption may have a significantly different effect on heart and stroke risk in men and women, according to a study of Japanese people published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
“An amount of alcohol that may be beneficial for men is not good for women at all,” said Hiroyasu Iso, M.D., co-author of the study and professor of public health at Osaka University in Japan.
Researchers analyzed data from a survey of 34,776 men and 48,906 women (ages 40 to 79) selected from the larger Japan Collaborative Cohort Study (JACC) to determine the association of alcohol use with the risks of stroke and heart disease. Participants who had not experienced cancer, stroke or heart disease before the study completed questionnaires about their lifestyles and medical histories and provided information about their drinking of sake (rice wine), shochu (a type of brandy), beer, whiskey and/or wine.
Researchers calculated the risks and benefits of alcohol consumption after adjusting for age and several other risk factors, including smoking, weight, body mass index, the presence of high blood pressure or diabetes, exercise habits, stress, education and diet.
During a 14.2-year follow-up, 1,628 participants died from stroke and 736 died from heart disease.
Men who reported drinking heavily (at least 46 grams of alcohol per day, equivalent to four or more standard alcoholic beverages) at the time of the survey had a 19 percent lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease than nondrinking men.
In stark contrast, women who drank that much quadrupled their risk of heart disease death over that of nondrinking women. Light drinking (less than 23 grams of alcohol per day, about two drinks a day) reported on the survey was associated with a lower risk of heart disease death in women by 17 percent; while intake between 23 and 46 grams per day was associated with an increased risk of 45 percent.
“In women, we found a slightly reduced risk with light consumption but a much greater risk with heavy alcohol use,” Iso said.
In men, heavy alcohol use was associated with an increased risk of death from all types of stroke by 48 percent. The risk of hemorrhagic stroke (caused by a blood vessel bursting in the brain) was increased 67 percent. The risk of ischemic stroke (caused by a blocked blood vessel in the brain or leading to it) was higher by 35 percent.
In women, heavy alcohol use was associated with a higher risk of stroke death by 92 percent. Hemorrhagic stroke death risk was increased by 61 percent. The risk of ischemic stroke death was increased 2.43 times.
“We expected to find an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke,” Iso said. “But since alcohol reduces the ability of the blood to clot, we didn’t expect to find the increases in ischemic stroke and coronary heart disease.”
Only 15 percent of women in JACC drank any alcohol, far less than the 45.9 percent of U.S. women who reported using alcohol in 2005, Iso said.
Before this study, evidence suggested that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption might be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in women. But data on heavy drinking was limited and the question had not been addressed in an Asian country, where both drinking and heart disease are less common.
“One limitation of the study is that, in Japanese culture, there are social restrictions against women drinking as they get older,” Iso said. “In that culture, the women who do drink may have different types of jobs or other aspects of their lifestyle that may help explain the excess risk as well as the alcohol exposure itself.”
Iso said more research could help determine how alcohol affects cardiovascular risk.
The American Heart Association does not recommend drinking wine or other forms of alcohol, since there is clear evidence that alcohol use is associated with injury to the heart in many ways. Instead, the association recommends that people talk to their doctor about lowering their cholesterol and blood pressure, controlling weight, getting enough physical activity and following a healthy diet and quitting smoking. There is no scientific proof that drinking alcoholic beverages can replace these conventional measures.
A Little Alcohol Goes a Longer Way in Women than in Men—in Good Ways and Bad
Alcohol can be a boon or a bane for health. The difference lies in the dose—a little is good, a lot is bad. But the dividing line between a little and a lot differs from person to person. It depends on many things, including sex. Women are more vulnerable than men to alcohol’s long-term effects.
Women break down alcohol more slowly than men do. If a woman and a man drink identical glasses of wine with the same meal, she will have a higher blood level of alcohol, and for a longer time. This means her tissues are exposed to more alcohol per drink than a man’s. Results from a study in Japan suggest that too much alcohol is bad for a woman’s heart and arteries, and earlier work shows it can be hazardous to breast tissue too.
What constitutes “healthy drinking”? Current guidelines say it is one to two drinks a day for men and no more than one a day for women. Keep in mind that this recommendation is for the average person. How you respond to alcohol depends on your genes, your diet, and the medications you take.
If you drink, consider taking a daily multivitamin/multimineral supplement. Alcohol blocks the absorption of folic acid and inactivates this important vitamin in the bloodstream, so drinkers need extra folic acid.
Up to 2 drinks per day not linked with higher risk of irregular heart beat for women
Women who have up to two alcoholic drinks per day do not appear to be at increased risk of atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beat), but drinking more than that amount is associated with a higher risk, according to a study in the December 3 issue of JAMA.
Studies assessing the effects of regular alcohol consumption on the risk of atrial fibrillation have provided inconsistent results, with several studies finding significant associations between moderate to high amounts of alcohol intake and increased risks of atrial fibrillation among men, but not among women. However, these studies were not of adequate size to detect significant associations among women, according to background information in the article.
David Conen, M.D., M.P.H., of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland, and colleagues analyzed data from a completed randomized controlled trial involving 34,715 women participating in the Women's Health Study, to assess the effects of regular alcohol consumption on the risk of atrial fibrillation. The participants were older than 45 years and had no atrial fibrillation at the start of the study and underwent follow-up from 1993 to October 2006. Alcohol consumption was assessed via questionnaires at the beginning of the trial and at 48 months of follow-up and was grouped into 4 categories: 0 drinks per day, greater than 0 and less than 1, 1 or more and less than 2, and 2 or more drinks per day. Atrial fibrillation was self-reported on the yearly questionnaires and subsequently confirmed by electrocardiogram and medical record review.
During a median (midpoint) follow-up of 12.4 years, there were 653 confirmed cases of new atrial fibrillation. Among women consuming no alcohol (n = 15,370), there were 294 events (1.9 percent); for women consuming more than 0 and less than 1 drink per day (n = 15,758), there were 284 events (1.8 percent); for 1 to 2 drinks per day (n = 2,228), there were 35 events (1.6 percent); and for women consuming 2 or more drinks per day (n = 1,359), there were 40 atrial fibrillation events (2.9 percent).
"In the present study, alcohol consumption of up to 2 drinks per day was not associated with an increased risk of incident atrial fibrillation among initially healthy, middle-aged women. In contrast, the small group of women who consumed 2 or more alcoholic beverages per day had a 1.6-fold greater risk for atrial fibrillation relative to nondrinking women. While this finding needs to be interpreted with some caution because of the small number of women in some subgroups, it supports a possible threshold effect in the relationship between alcohol consumption and risk of atrial fibrillation among women," the authors write.
A little wine boosts omega-3 in the body: Researchers find a novel mechanism for a healthier heart
Results from the European study IMMIDIET show that moderate wine intake is associated with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids considered as protective against coronary heart disease
Moderate alcohol intake is associated with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in plasma and red blood cells. This is the major finding of the European study IMMIDIET that will be published in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, an official publication of the American Society for Nutrition and is already available on line (www.ajcn.org ). The study suggests that wine does better than other alcoholic drinks. This effect could be ascribed to compounds other than alcohol itself, representing a key to understand the mechanism lying behind the heart protection observed in moderate wine drinkers.
The IMMIDIET study examined 1,604 citizens from three geographical areas: south-west London in England, Limburg in Belgium and Abruzzo in Italy. Thanks to a close cooperation with General Practitioners of these areas, all participants underwent a comprehensive medical examination, including a one year recall food frequency questionnaire to assess their dietary intake, alcohol consumption included.
Omega-3 fatty acids, mainly derived from fish, are considered as protective against coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death, thus their high blood concentration is definitely good for our health.
Now European researchers found that moderate alcohol drinking acts like a 'trigger', boosting the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in our body.
"Several studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption, including wine, is associated with protection against coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke - says Romina di Giuseppe, lead author of the study, from the Research Laboratories at Catholic University of Campobasso - Although the mechanisms are not completely defined, there was some evidence that alcohol intake might influence the metabolism of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, as omega-3. That is exactly what we found in our population study. People drinking moderate amounts of alcohol, one drink a day for women and two for men, had higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids in plasma and red blood cells independently of their fish intake".
However important these results appear to be, the best is yet to come. Researchers from Catholic University of Campobasso, in Italy, and from University of Grenoble, in France, turned their attention on the variety of alcoholic beverages consumed in order to see whether the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids detected might be ascribed to alcohol itself or to other substances.
"From our previous studies we know that association between wine drinking and increased concentration of omega-3 fatty acids have been observed – says Michel de Lorgeril, from the University of Grenoble, partner of the IMMIDIET project and co-leader of the study - Nevertheless, it was not possible to separate the effects of wine from those of beer or spirits. Our study of 3 populations with different dietary habits and different consumption of alcoholic beverages types allowed us to explore this aspect.".
"Analysis carried out on different alcoholic beverages –argues Licia Iacoviello coordinator of the IMMIDIET study at Catholic University of Campobasso - showed that the association between alcohol and omega-3 fatty acids was present in both wine drinkers and beer or spirits drinkers. However, the association was stronger between wine drinking and omega-3 fatty acids levels. This suggests that components of wine other than alcohol is associated with omega-3 fatty acids concentration. We may guess this effect can be ascribed to polyphenols".
Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds contained in a different variety of food and beverages, such as wine. Due to their strong antioxidant activity, they are able to reduce oxidation processes caused by free radicals.
"We consider these data to be a major finding - de Lorgeril concludes - opening a new window in the field of cardiovascular prevention. Beyond the alcohol issue, our results raise crucial questions regarding the effects of polyphenols on lipids (both in blood and cell membranes) and possibly of lipids on polyphenols".
The IMMIDIET study
Funded by the European Union under Key Action 1: Food, Nutrition and Health QLK1-CT-2000-00100, IMMIDIET aims to acquire fundamental knowledge in the field of cardiovascular disease, especially regarding the interaction between genetics and lifestyle.
At the core of the study there is an important episode of Italian migration: Belgium, a country that became the new home for thousands of Italians, mostly from the Abruzzo region, who came to work in the mines. Many of those emigrants didn't come back to Italy but remained in their new country. Some of them married a Belgian partner. Their genes remained the same, of course, but how much "Italy" is still there in their diet? And how much did they transmit it to their spouses? Moreover, how many Italian emigrants assimilate dietary habits of the country in which they were guests? In this framework, the role of genetic factors and lifestyle can be assessed to explore new ways in prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
To carry on the research, married couples have been recruited in three European areas: South-East London in England, Limburg in Belgium and Abruzzo in Italy. In the first phase of the study the couples involved were formed by people from the same area, Italians married with Italians (in the Abruzzo region), Belgians married with Belgians (in the Limburg area) and English married with English (in the South-East part of London)".
The second phase of IMMIDIET recruited mixed Italian–Belgian couples to understand if, acquiring dietary habits from Abruzzo, the Belgian partner changed his own risk regarding heart diseases.
Exploring the health and protective benefits of light to moderate alcohol consumption
While the physiological damage and social havoc created by alcohol abuse and dependency are well-known, it is also true that light-to-moderate drinking has certain health benefits. This mini-review summarizes a roundtable discussion held at the July 2007 annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism in Chicago, Illinois.
Results will be published in the February 2009 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
"Alcohol abuse, often in combination with poor nutrition, is responsible for a great deal of permanent organ damage, and that includes the brain," explained Michael A. Collins, professor of biochemistry at Loyola University Chicago and corresponding author for the research roundtable. "In fact, studies of alcoholics over the years sometimes indicate that brain damage can develop earlier than liver damage, but it simply is not recognized because there are common clinical lab tests for liver disease but not for subtle cognitive impairment."
Conversely, Collins added, human studies have indicated that mild or moderate social consumption of alcohol can have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular state and cognitive function. "Alcohol in low to moderate concentrations appears to promote cytoprotective cellular mechanisms," he said, "which might explain some of these epidemiological findings. It seemed important to bring researchers together in this roundtable, in part to inform the research community about these emerging mechanisms."
Some of the key points discussed were:
- Alcohol appears to have a complex relationship with cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases. These include dose-dependent associations with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke throughout a range of drinking, a higher risk of ischemic stroke with heavier drinking, and a possible lower risk of dementia or cognitive decline with aging.
"We need greater insight into how cells in the adult brain and heart, in response to moderate alcohol exposure, are able to achieve a relatively protected state with respect to certain insults or cytotoxins," said Collins. "Knowing more about these mechanisms might allow us to design 'non-addictive' molecules that trigger key cytoprotective biochemical steps, for example. This achievement, however small, potentially could have a significant impact, since – worldwide – heart disease is the major killer, and a new case of dementia from all causes is estimated to develop every seven seconds or so."
- Experimental studies with rodents and cultures indicate that moderate alcohol exposure can promote anti-inflammatory processes involving adenosine receptors, protein kinase C (PKC), nitric oxide synthase, and heat shock proteins that may underlie cardioprotection.
"Like many chemicals that we ingest, alcohol is sort of a classic double-edged sword," said Collins. "With respect to 'inflammation,' alcohol in high binge amounts, either directly or through its metabolism, appears to trigger increases in a number of inflammatory players in many cells that include free radicals and inflammatory protein molecules such as cytokines. These are probably responsible for much of the organ damage of alcoholism."
Yet alcohol in low to moderate amounts seems to do the opposite. "It increases other factors that are typically anti-inflammatory in their effects" said Collins. "After moderate alcohol exposure, we find higher levels of cellular 'heat shock' proteins which are well known to be neuroprotective. Of further relevance to the question of aging-dependent cognitive loss is how this alcohol neuroprotection is exerted against beta-amyloid, a neuroinflammatory protein abnormally increased in Alzheimer's disease and likely underlying the progressive dementia."
- Additional evidence suggests that alcohol may even help lower the risk for dementia via "preconditioning" mechanisms, that is, inducing neuronal survival pathways through its selective activation of PKC and focal adhesion kinase enzymes, the focal adhesion complex, and stabilization of the cytoskeleton.
"I want to emphasize that none of the researchers on this roundtable panel recommends moderate alcohol consumption as a tried-and-true way of reducing the risks of heart disease or cognitive decline," said Collins. "And there are situations or conditions when any drinking whatsoever should be discouraged, for example, during pregnancy, during adolescence, or prior to driving. On the other hand, if a responsible adult is doing well socially, psychologically and physically with a stable, non-binge pattern of moderate alcohol ingestion, there is no apparent reason to stop."
MODERATE DRINKING CAN REDUCE RISKS OF ALZHEIMER'S DEMENTIA AND COGNITIVE DECLINE
But Abusing Alcohol can Damage Brain, Loyola Researchers say
Moderate drinkers often have lower risks of Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive loss, according to researchers who reviewed 44 studies.
In more than half of the studies, published since the 1990s, moderate drinkers of wine, beer and liquor had lower dementia risks than nondrinkers. In only a few studies were there increased risks.
"Alcohol is a two-edged sword," said Michael Collins, Ph.D., a professor and neuroscientist at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and lead author of the refereed report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. "Too much is bad. But a little might actually be helpful."
Moderate alcohol consumption generally is defined as 1 drink or less per day for women and 1-2 drinks or less per day for men.
The article will be published in the February 2009 issue of the journal, and is available on line now. The article summarizes a roundtable, organized by Collins, held at the Research Society on Alcoholism meetings in Chicago in 2007.
"The pathological damage and vast social havoc from addiction to and abuse of alcohol are well known, and of necessity should continue to receive primary attention by doctors, scientific researchers and health professionals," Collins and colleagues write. "However, light-to-moderate responsible alcohol consumption "appears to carry certain health benefits."
Long-term alcohol abuse can cause memory loss and impair cognitive function. It's unknown why moderate alcohol use appears to have the opposite effect. One theory is that the well-known cardiovascular benefits of moderate alcohol consumption also can reduce the risk of mini strokes that cause dementia.
Collins and another Loyola professor, neuroscientist Edward Neafsey, Ph.D., suggest a second possible explanation. Small amounts of alcohol might, in effect, make brain cells more fit. Alcohol in moderate levels stresses cells and thus toughens them up to cope with major stresses down the road that could cause dementia.
For most people who drink responsibly and in moderation, there's probably no reason to quit. But because of the potential for alcohol to be abused, Collins and Neafsey do not recommend that abstainers begin drinking. The researchers note there are other things besides moderate drinking that can reduce the risk of dementia, including exercise, green tea, education and a Mediterranean diet high in fruits, vegetables, cereals, beans, nuts and seeds.
Moreover, there are times when people should never drink, including adolescence, pregnancy and before driving, Collins said.
Drink For Your Health
Men who drink alcohol every day have a lower risk of heart disease than those who drink less frequently, suggests research in the British Medical Journal. It is widely known that moderate drinkers have a lower risk of coronary heart disease than those who abstain, but most research in this field has been done on men and little is known about drinking patterns and risk of heart disease among women.
Researchers in Denmark studied over 50,000 men and women aged 50-65 years who were taking part in a national health study. Details on alcohol intake and drinking frequency over the preceding year were collected, and participants were monitored for an average of 5.7 years.
Coronary heart events were recorded and results were adjusted for known risk factors, such as age, smoking, education, physical activity and diet.
A total of 28,448 women and 25,052 men took part in the study. Women consumed an average of 5.5 alcoholic drinks a week and men consumed 11.3. During the study, 749 women and 1,283 men developed coronary heart disease.
Women who drank alcohol on at least one day a week had a lower risk of coronary heart disease than women who drank alcohol on less than one day a week.
However, risks were similar for drinking on one day a week (36% reduced risk), or seven days a week (35% reduced risk), suggesting that the amount of alcohol consumed is more important than drinking frequency among women.
In contrast, for men, risks were lowest for the most frequent drinkers. For example, men who drank on one day a week had a 7% reduced risk, while men who drank daily had a 41% reduced risk. This suggests that it doesn’t matter how much men drink, as long as they drink every day.
Moderate drinking lowers women's heart attack risk
Women who regularly enjoy an alcoholic drink or two have a significantly lower risk of having a non-fatal heart attack than women who are life-time abstainers, epidemiologists at the University at Buffalo have shown._
Moderation is the key, however. Women in the study who reported being intoxicated at least once a month were nearly three times more likely to suffer a heart attack than abstainers, results showed.
One difference in the protective pattern among drinkers involved those who drank primarily liquor. Women who preferred liquor to wine experienced a borderline increase in risk of heart attack, results showed.
The study is published in the May 2007 issue of the journal Addiction.__
"These findings have important implications, because heart disease is the leading cause of death for women," said Joan M. Dorn, Ph.D., associate professor of social and preventive medicine in the UB School of Public Health and Health Professions and first author on the study.
Women seem to have a quicker reaction to a smaller amount of alcohol, she noted: "Overdoing it is harmful, and what is too much depends on each individual. In some women, one drink can cause intoxication."__
Moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to lower the risk of heart attack, but most studies have been done with men. The current study compared alcohol drinking volume and drinking patterns of women who had been hospitalized due to a heart attack, with age-matched controls without heart problems.__
Alcohol Consumption = Lower Risk of Heart Disease
Findings from a study of healthy older adults suggest that alcohol’s effect on lipoprotein particle size may play a role in the relationship between alcohol intake and lower risk for coronary heart disease. In the study, alcohol consumption was associated with larger lipoprotein particle sizes and a lower prevalence of small LDL and HDL particles.
Light wine intake = longer life expectancy in men
Drinking a little alcohol every day, especially wine, may be associated with an increase in life expectancy. That’s the conclusion of Dutch researchers who reported the findings of their study at the American Heart Association’s 47th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.
The researchers found that a light intake of alcohol (on average less than one glass per day) was associated with a lower rate of cardiovascular death and death from all causes. When compared to spirits and beer, consumption of small amounts of wine, about a half a glass a day, was associated with the lowest levels of all-cause and cardiovascular deaths.
"Our study showed that long-term, light alcohol intake among middle-aged men was associated not only with lower cardiovascular and all-cause death risk, but also with longer life expectancy at age 50," said Martinette T. Streppel, lead author of the study and a Ph.D. student in the Division of Human Nutrition at Wageningen University and National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in Bilthoven, The Netherlands. "Furthermore, long-term light wine consumption is associated with a further protective effect when compared to that of light-to-moderate alcohol intake of other types."
Previous studies have shown that light to moderate alcohol intake is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular death. However, it remained unclear whether a specific beverage was associated with more benefit and whether the use of long-term alcohol consumption was associated with increased life expectancy. Studies such as this cannot definitively show whether the agent being studied has a causal effect on health.
The Netherlands study — called the Zutphen Study — involved a cohort of 1,373 men born between 1900 and 1920 who were surveyed in detail about alcohol consumption seven times over 40 years. The participants, all from Zutphen, an industrial town in the eastern part of the Netherlands, were followed until death or until the final survey taken among survivors in mid-2000. The surveys included drinking habits, dietary habits, body mass index, smoking habits and the prevalence of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and cancer. The statistics on alcohol consumption were adjusted to account for other risk factors.
The researchers found that long-term, light alcohol intake of less than or equal to 20 grams per day (1 glass of alcoholic beverage contains 10 grams of alcohol, 1 ounce = ~30 mL of alcoholic beverage) compared to no alcohol intake was associated with a 36 percent lower relative risk of all-cause death and a 34 lower relative risk of cardiovascular death. The average long-term daily intake of the men throughout the 40-year study was six grams based on any alcohol intake of more than zero and up to 20 grams. The long-term average intake of six grams of alcohol is equal to one four-ounce beer, one two-ounce glass of wine or one one-ounce glass of spirits, daily.
When the researchers looked independently at wine consumption, the associated risk reduction was greater. Participants who drank on average half a glass, or 1.5 ounces, of wine per day, over a long period, had a 40 percent lower rate of all-cause death and a 48 percent lower incidence of cardiovascular death, compared to the non-wine drinkers.
Researchers said life expectancy was 3.8 years higher in those men who drank wine compared to those who did not drink alcoholic beverages. Life expectancy of wine users was more than two years longer than users of other alcoholic beverages. Men with a long-term alcohol intake less than or equal to 20 grams per day had a 1.6-year-higher life expectancy, compared to those who consumed no alcohol.
Most of the previous studies assessed alcohol intake at baseline; however, in this study researchers collected detailed information seven times over 40 years. "Consumption patterns usually change during life," Streppel said. "This enabled us to study the effects of long-term alcohol intake on mortality." Researchers found that the number of alcohol users nearly doubled from 45 percent in 1960 to 85 percent in the 2000 survey. Average alcohol consumption rose and then fell at various points during the study. Users’ consumption was eight grams a day in 1960, then survivors’ consumption was 18 grams a day in 1985, dropping to 13 grams per day in 2000. The percentage of wine users increased during follow-up from 2 percent in 1960 to more than 40 percent among the survivors in 2000. "One can speculate that a protective effect of light alcohol intake could be due to an increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, or to a reduction in blood clotting, due to an inhibition of platelet aggregation," Streppel said.
Furthermore, red wine consumption may have an additional health benefit because the polyphenolic compounds contained in wine have been seen in animal to interfere with the formation, progression and rupture of atherosclerotic plaques — the build-up of fatty tissue in the arteries that can result in stroke or heart attack.
"Those people who already consume alcoholic beverages should do so lightly (1 to 2 glasses per day) and preferably drink wine," Streppel said. "The cardio-protective effects of alcohol and wine only held up for light alcohol consumption in middle-aged men. Heavy alcohol consumption may cause accidents and diseases such as cancer and cirrhosis of the liver, even though this was not observed in our study. Since alcohol consumption can be addictive, starting to drink alcohol because of its positive health benefits is not advised."
How alcohol or wine might affect cardiovascular risk merits further research, but right now the American Heart Association does not recommend beginning to drink wine or any other form of alcohol to gain these potential benefits. The association does recommend that to reduce your risk you should talk to your doctor about lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure, controlling your weight, getting enough physical activity and following a healthy diet and quit smoking, if you smoke. There is no scientific proof that drinking wine or any other alcoholic beverage can replace these conventional measures.
Alcohol Can Benefit the Hearts of New Drinkers
A Medical University of South Carolina’s (MUSC) Department of Family Medicine study concluded that people who began moderately consuming alcohol in middle-age experience a quick benefit of lower rates of cardiovascular disease morbidity with no change in mortality after four years. In addition, the study found that those who consumed alcohol for the heart health benefits rarely drank more than recommended amounts. The study has been published in the March issue of the American Journal of Medicine, and was conducted by MUSC’s Dana E. King M.D., Arch G. Mainous III, Ph.D, and Mark E. Geesey.
“Most people are aware that moderate alcohol use can be part of a healthy lifestyle, yet current guidelines caution non-drinkers against starting to drink in middle age,” said King, lead author of the study. “We wanted to evaluate whether adopting moderate alcohol consumption in middle-age would lower cardiovascular risk. We were excited to find that moderate alcohol consumption, or one to six servings a week, lowered cardiovascular risk for our participants.”
In contrast to a recently published study in the British Public Library of Science journal, PLoS Medicine, MUSC’s study showed no increase in blood pressure for participants at moderate consumption levels (two drinks per day or fewer for men, one drink per day or fewer for women) during the four years of the study. New moderate drinkers had a 38% lower chance of developing cardiovascular disease than did their persistently non-drinking counterparts. This difference remained after adjustment for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors.
Moderate Drinkers Report Better Health
Moderate drinkers are more likely to report above-average health than lifetime abstainers, light drinkers and heavy drinkers, a new study reveals.
“Our results suggest that a moderate amount of drinking is not necessarily dangerous for most people and may actually be health-enhancing,” said study coauthor Michael French, Ph.D.
However, it is unclear whether moderate drinking leads to better health or whether moderate drinkers simply lead healthier lifestyles, he said.
This finding confirmed much of the clinical evidence on this topic. However, previous research has focused on objective health indicators such as cardiovascular disease, injuries and mortality. “We wanted to see if moderate drinkers are actually feeling better by their own assessment,” said French, professor of health economics at the University of Miami.
Regular Tipple May Curb Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Alcohol cuts the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by up to 50%, reveals research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
The Scandinavian researchers base their findings on more than 2750 people taking part in two separate studies, which assessed environmental and genetic risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis.
Over half the participants (1650) had the disease and had been matched for age, sex, and residential locality with randomly selected members of the general public.
All participants were quizzed about their lifestyle, including how much they smoked and drank. And blood samples were taken to check for genetic risk factors.
The results showed that drinking alcohol was associated with a significantly lower risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. And the more alcohol was consumed, the lower the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
Among those who drank regularly, the quarter with the highest consumption were up to 50% less likely to develop the disease compared with the half who drank the least.
The effect was the same for both men and women.
Among those with antibodies to a specific group of proteins involved in the development of the disease, alcohol cut the risk most in smokers with genetic risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis.
Smoking is known to be a major environmental risk factor for developing rheumatoid arthritis, and this risk is further increased in those who carry these genetic variants.
The authors conclude that their research reinforces the importance of lifestyle factors in the development of the disease, and that giving up smoking remains the single most important preventive measure.
They point to recent experimental research by other authors, which showed that alcohol protected against the development and severity of rheumatoid arthritis, although it is not clear exactly how it does this.
And they draw parallels with the links between moderate alcohol consumption and a reduced risk of other inflammatory processes, such as cardiovascular disease.
Click here to view the paper in full:_http://press.psprings.co.uk/ard/june/ar86314.pdf
Alcohol’s impact on heart and stroke risk may differ for men, women
The volume of alcohol consumption may have a significantly different effect on heart and stroke risk in men and women, according to a study of Japanese people published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
“An amount of alcohol that may be beneficial for men is not good for women at all,” said Hiroyasu Iso, M.D., co-author of the study and professor of public health at Osaka University in Japan.
Researchers analyzed data from a survey of 34,776 men and 48,906 women (ages 40 to 79) selected from the larger Japan Collaborative Cohort Study (JACC) to determine the association of alcohol use with the risks of stroke and heart disease. Participants who had not experienced cancer, stroke or heart disease before the study completed questionnaires about their lifestyles and medical histories and provided information about their drinking of sake (rice wine), shochu (a type of brandy), beer, whiskey and/or wine.
Researchers calculated the risks and benefits of alcohol consumption after adjusting for age and several other risk factors, including smoking, weight, body mass index, the presence of high blood pressure or diabetes, exercise habits, stress, education and diet.
During a 14.2-year follow-up, 1,628 participants died from stroke and 736 died from heart disease.
Men who reported drinking heavily (at least 46 grams of alcohol per day, equivalent to four or more standard alcoholic beverages) at the time of the survey had a 19 percent lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease than nondrinking men.
In stark contrast, women who drank that much quadrupled their risk of heart disease death over that of nondrinking women. Light drinking (less than 23 grams of alcohol per day, about two drinks a day) reported on the survey was associated with a lower risk of heart disease death in women by 17 percent; while intake between 23 and 46 grams per day was associated with an increased risk of 45 percent.
“In women, we found a slightly reduced risk with light consumption but a much greater risk with heavy alcohol use,” Iso said.
In men, heavy alcohol use was associated with an increased risk of death from all types of stroke by 48 percent. The risk of hemorrhagic stroke (caused by a blood vessel bursting in the brain) was increased 67 percent. The risk of ischemic stroke (caused by a blocked blood vessel in the brain or leading to it) was higher by 35 percent.
In women, heavy alcohol use was associated with a higher risk of stroke death by 92 percent. Hemorrhagic stroke death risk was increased by 61 percent. The risk of ischemic stroke death was increased 2.43 times.
“We expected to find an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke,” Iso said. “But since alcohol reduces the ability of the blood to clot, we didn’t expect to find the increases in ischemic stroke and coronary heart disease.”
Only 15 percent of women in JACC drank any alcohol, far less than the 45.9 percent of U.S. women who reported using alcohol in 2005, Iso said.
Before this study, evidence suggested that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption might be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in women. But data on heavy drinking was limited and the question had not been addressed in an Asian country, where both drinking and heart disease are less common.
“One limitation of the study is that, in Japanese culture, there are social restrictions against women drinking as they get older,” Iso said. “In that culture, the women who do drink may have different types of jobs or other aspects of their lifestyle that may help explain the excess risk as well as the alcohol exposure itself.”
Iso said more research could help determine how alcohol affects cardiovascular risk.
The American Heart Association does not recommend drinking wine or other forms of alcohol, since there is clear evidence that alcohol use is associated with injury to the heart in many ways. Instead, the association recommends that people talk to their doctor about lowering their cholesterol and blood pressure, controlling weight, getting enough physical activity and following a healthy diet and quitting smoking. There is no scientific proof that drinking alcoholic beverages can replace these conventional measures.
A Little Alcohol Goes a Longer Way in Women than in Men—in Good Ways and Bad
Alcohol can be a boon or a bane for health. The difference lies in the dose—a little is good, a lot is bad. But the dividing line between a little and a lot differs from person to person. It depends on many things, including sex. Women are more vulnerable than men to alcohol’s long-term effects.
Women break down alcohol more slowly than men do. If a woman and a man drink identical glasses of wine with the same meal, she will have a higher blood level of alcohol, and for a longer time. This means her tissues are exposed to more alcohol per drink than a man’s. Results from a study in Japan suggest that too much alcohol is bad for a woman’s heart and arteries, and earlier work shows it can be hazardous to breast tissue too.
What constitutes “healthy drinking”? Current guidelines say it is one to two drinks a day for men and no more than one a day for women. Keep in mind that this recommendation is for the average person. How you respond to alcohol depends on your genes, your diet, and the medications you take.
If you drink, consider taking a daily multivitamin/multimineral supplement. Alcohol blocks the absorption of folic acid and inactivates this important vitamin in the bloodstream, so drinkers need extra folic acid.
Up to 2 drinks per day not linked with higher risk of irregular heart beat for women
Women who have up to two alcoholic drinks per day do not appear to be at increased risk of atrial fibrillation (irregular heart beat), but drinking more than that amount is associated with a higher risk, according to a study in the December 3 issue of JAMA.
Studies assessing the effects of regular alcohol consumption on the risk of atrial fibrillation have provided inconsistent results, with several studies finding significant associations between moderate to high amounts of alcohol intake and increased risks of atrial fibrillation among men, but not among women. However, these studies were not of adequate size to detect significant associations among women, according to background information in the article.
David Conen, M.D., M.P.H., of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland, and colleagues analyzed data from a completed randomized controlled trial involving 34,715 women participating in the Women's Health Study, to assess the effects of regular alcohol consumption on the risk of atrial fibrillation. The participants were older than 45 years and had no atrial fibrillation at the start of the study and underwent follow-up from 1993 to October 2006. Alcohol consumption was assessed via questionnaires at the beginning of the trial and at 48 months of follow-up and was grouped into 4 categories: 0 drinks per day, greater than 0 and less than 1, 1 or more and less than 2, and 2 or more drinks per day. Atrial fibrillation was self-reported on the yearly questionnaires and subsequently confirmed by electrocardiogram and medical record review.
During a median (midpoint) follow-up of 12.4 years, there were 653 confirmed cases of new atrial fibrillation. Among women consuming no alcohol (n = 15,370), there were 294 events (1.9 percent); for women consuming more than 0 and less than 1 drink per day (n = 15,758), there were 284 events (1.8 percent); for 1 to 2 drinks per day (n = 2,228), there were 35 events (1.6 percent); and for women consuming 2 or more drinks per day (n = 1,359), there were 40 atrial fibrillation events (2.9 percent).
"In the present study, alcohol consumption of up to 2 drinks per day was not associated with an increased risk of incident atrial fibrillation among initially healthy, middle-aged women. In contrast, the small group of women who consumed 2 or more alcoholic beverages per day had a 1.6-fold greater risk for atrial fibrillation relative to nondrinking women. While this finding needs to be interpreted with some caution because of the small number of women in some subgroups, it supports a possible threshold effect in the relationship between alcohol consumption and risk of atrial fibrillation among women," the authors write.
A little wine boosts omega-3 in the body: Researchers find a novel mechanism for a healthier heart
Results from the European study IMMIDIET show that moderate wine intake is associated with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids considered as protective against coronary heart disease
Moderate alcohol intake is associated with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in plasma and red blood cells. This is the major finding of the European study IMMIDIET that will be published in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, an official publication of the American Society for Nutrition and is already available on line (www.ajcn.org ). The study suggests that wine does better than other alcoholic drinks. This effect could be ascribed to compounds other than alcohol itself, representing a key to understand the mechanism lying behind the heart protection observed in moderate wine drinkers.
The IMMIDIET study examined 1,604 citizens from three geographical areas: south-west London in England, Limburg in Belgium and Abruzzo in Italy. Thanks to a close cooperation with General Practitioners of these areas, all participants underwent a comprehensive medical examination, including a one year recall food frequency questionnaire to assess their dietary intake, alcohol consumption included.
Omega-3 fatty acids, mainly derived from fish, are considered as protective against coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death, thus their high blood concentration is definitely good for our health.
Now European researchers found that moderate alcohol drinking acts like a 'trigger', boosting the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in our body.
"Several studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption, including wine, is associated with protection against coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke - says Romina di Giuseppe, lead author of the study, from the Research Laboratories at Catholic University of Campobasso - Although the mechanisms are not completely defined, there was some evidence that alcohol intake might influence the metabolism of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, as omega-3. That is exactly what we found in our population study. People drinking moderate amounts of alcohol, one drink a day for women and two for men, had higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids in plasma and red blood cells independently of their fish intake".
However important these results appear to be, the best is yet to come. Researchers from Catholic University of Campobasso, in Italy, and from University of Grenoble, in France, turned their attention on the variety of alcoholic beverages consumed in order to see whether the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids detected might be ascribed to alcohol itself or to other substances.
"From our previous studies we know that association between wine drinking and increased concentration of omega-3 fatty acids have been observed – says Michel de Lorgeril, from the University of Grenoble, partner of the IMMIDIET project and co-leader of the study - Nevertheless, it was not possible to separate the effects of wine from those of beer or spirits. Our study of 3 populations with different dietary habits and different consumption of alcoholic beverages types allowed us to explore this aspect.".
"Analysis carried out on different alcoholic beverages –argues Licia Iacoviello coordinator of the IMMIDIET study at Catholic University of Campobasso - showed that the association between alcohol and omega-3 fatty acids was present in both wine drinkers and beer or spirits drinkers. However, the association was stronger between wine drinking and omega-3 fatty acids levels. This suggests that components of wine other than alcohol is associated with omega-3 fatty acids concentration. We may guess this effect can be ascribed to polyphenols".
Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds contained in a different variety of food and beverages, such as wine. Due to their strong antioxidant activity, they are able to reduce oxidation processes caused by free radicals.
"We consider these data to be a major finding - de Lorgeril concludes - opening a new window in the field of cardiovascular prevention. Beyond the alcohol issue, our results raise crucial questions regarding the effects of polyphenols on lipids (both in blood and cell membranes) and possibly of lipids on polyphenols".
The IMMIDIET study
Funded by the European Union under Key Action 1: Food, Nutrition and Health QLK1-CT-2000-00100, IMMIDIET aims to acquire fundamental knowledge in the field of cardiovascular disease, especially regarding the interaction between genetics and lifestyle.
At the core of the study there is an important episode of Italian migration: Belgium, a country that became the new home for thousands of Italians, mostly from the Abruzzo region, who came to work in the mines. Many of those emigrants didn't come back to Italy but remained in their new country. Some of them married a Belgian partner. Their genes remained the same, of course, but how much "Italy" is still there in their diet? And how much did they transmit it to their spouses? Moreover, how many Italian emigrants assimilate dietary habits of the country in which they were guests? In this framework, the role of genetic factors and lifestyle can be assessed to explore new ways in prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
To carry on the research, married couples have been recruited in three European areas: South-East London in England, Limburg in Belgium and Abruzzo in Italy. In the first phase of the study the couples involved were formed by people from the same area, Italians married with Italians (in the Abruzzo region), Belgians married with Belgians (in the Limburg area) and English married with English (in the South-East part of London)".
The second phase of IMMIDIET recruited mixed Italian–Belgian couples to understand if, acquiring dietary habits from Abruzzo, the Belgian partner changed his own risk regarding heart diseases.
Exploring the health and protective benefits of light to moderate alcohol consumption
While the physiological damage and social havoc created by alcohol abuse and dependency are well-known, it is also true that light-to-moderate drinking has certain health benefits. This mini-review summarizes a roundtable discussion held at the July 2007 annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism in Chicago, Illinois.
Results will be published in the February 2009 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.
"Alcohol abuse, often in combination with poor nutrition, is responsible for a great deal of permanent organ damage, and that includes the brain," explained Michael A. Collins, professor of biochemistry at Loyola University Chicago and corresponding author for the research roundtable. "In fact, studies of alcoholics over the years sometimes indicate that brain damage can develop earlier than liver damage, but it simply is not recognized because there are common clinical lab tests for liver disease but not for subtle cognitive impairment."
Conversely, Collins added, human studies have indicated that mild or moderate social consumption of alcohol can have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular state and cognitive function. "Alcohol in low to moderate concentrations appears to promote cytoprotective cellular mechanisms," he said, "which might explain some of these epidemiological findings. It seemed important to bring researchers together in this roundtable, in part to inform the research community about these emerging mechanisms."
Some of the key points discussed were:
- Alcohol appears to have a complex relationship with cardiovascular and neurovascular diseases. These include dose-dependent associations with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke throughout a range of drinking, a higher risk of ischemic stroke with heavier drinking, and a possible lower risk of dementia or cognitive decline with aging.
"We need greater insight into how cells in the adult brain and heart, in response to moderate alcohol exposure, are able to achieve a relatively protected state with respect to certain insults or cytotoxins," said Collins. "Knowing more about these mechanisms might allow us to design 'non-addictive' molecules that trigger key cytoprotective biochemical steps, for example. This achievement, however small, potentially could have a significant impact, since – worldwide – heart disease is the major killer, and a new case of dementia from all causes is estimated to develop every seven seconds or so."
- Experimental studies with rodents and cultures indicate that moderate alcohol exposure can promote anti-inflammatory processes involving adenosine receptors, protein kinase C (PKC), nitric oxide synthase, and heat shock proteins that may underlie cardioprotection.
"Like many chemicals that we ingest, alcohol is sort of a classic double-edged sword," said Collins. "With respect to 'inflammation,' alcohol in high binge amounts, either directly or through its metabolism, appears to trigger increases in a number of inflammatory players in many cells that include free radicals and inflammatory protein molecules such as cytokines. These are probably responsible for much of the organ damage of alcoholism."
Yet alcohol in low to moderate amounts seems to do the opposite. "It increases other factors that are typically anti-inflammatory in their effects" said Collins. "After moderate alcohol exposure, we find higher levels of cellular 'heat shock' proteins which are well known to be neuroprotective. Of further relevance to the question of aging-dependent cognitive loss is how this alcohol neuroprotection is exerted against beta-amyloid, a neuroinflammatory protein abnormally increased in Alzheimer's disease and likely underlying the progressive dementia."
- Additional evidence suggests that alcohol may even help lower the risk for dementia via "preconditioning" mechanisms, that is, inducing neuronal survival pathways through its selective activation of PKC and focal adhesion kinase enzymes, the focal adhesion complex, and stabilization of the cytoskeleton.
"I want to emphasize that none of the researchers on this roundtable panel recommends moderate alcohol consumption as a tried-and-true way of reducing the risks of heart disease or cognitive decline," said Collins. "And there are situations or conditions when any drinking whatsoever should be discouraged, for example, during pregnancy, during adolescence, or prior to driving. On the other hand, if a responsible adult is doing well socially, psychologically and physically with a stable, non-binge pattern of moderate alcohol ingestion, there is no apparent reason to stop."
MODERATE DRINKING CAN REDUCE RISKS OF ALZHEIMER'S DEMENTIA AND COGNITIVE DECLINE
But Abusing Alcohol can Damage Brain, Loyola Researchers say
Moderate drinkers often have lower risks of Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive loss, according to researchers who reviewed 44 studies.
In more than half of the studies, published since the 1990s, moderate drinkers of wine, beer and liquor had lower dementia risks than nondrinkers. In only a few studies were there increased risks.
"Alcohol is a two-edged sword," said Michael Collins, Ph.D., a professor and neuroscientist at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and lead author of the refereed report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. "Too much is bad. But a little might actually be helpful."
Moderate alcohol consumption generally is defined as 1 drink or less per day for women and 1-2 drinks or less per day for men.
The article will be published in the February 2009 issue of the journal, and is available on line now. The article summarizes a roundtable, organized by Collins, held at the Research Society on Alcoholism meetings in Chicago in 2007.
"The pathological damage and vast social havoc from addiction to and abuse of alcohol are well known, and of necessity should continue to receive primary attention by doctors, scientific researchers and health professionals," Collins and colleagues write. "However, light-to-moderate responsible alcohol consumption "appears to carry certain health benefits."
Long-term alcohol abuse can cause memory loss and impair cognitive function. It's unknown why moderate alcohol use appears to have the opposite effect. One theory is that the well-known cardiovascular benefits of moderate alcohol consumption also can reduce the risk of mini strokes that cause dementia.
Collins and another Loyola professor, neuroscientist Edward Neafsey, Ph.D., suggest a second possible explanation. Small amounts of alcohol might, in effect, make brain cells more fit. Alcohol in moderate levels stresses cells and thus toughens them up to cope with major stresses down the road that could cause dementia.
For most people who drink responsibly and in moderation, there's probably no reason to quit. But because of the potential for alcohol to be abused, Collins and Neafsey do not recommend that abstainers begin drinking. The researchers note there are other things besides moderate drinking that can reduce the risk of dementia, including exercise, green tea, education and a Mediterranean diet high in fruits, vegetables, cereals, beans, nuts and seeds.
Moreover, there are times when people should never drink, including adolescence, pregnancy and before driving, Collins said.
