Hum Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 An alcoholic drink a day can help keep heart disease at bay, according to a review of 30 years of research. The work, published in the British Medical Journal, showed a 14% to 25% reduction in heart disease in moderate drinkers compared with people who had never drunk alcohol. Another article, by the same Canadian research group, showed alcohol increased "good" cholesterol levels. But experts said this was not a reason to start drinking. For many years, studies have suggested that drinking alcohol in moderation has some health benefits. The researchers also say regular moderate drinking reduced all forms of cardiovascular disease by up to 25%. However, while consuming small quantities of alcohol had a beneficial effect on the number of strokes and stroke deaths, the risk increased substantially with heavier drinking. full article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
presence06 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Yea for beer :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheElite Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 What sort of alcohol? Cheap, crappy lager or champagne? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tharp Daddy Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I wonder if it's due to the fact that is reduces stress in a sort while drinking it. It seems kinda odd that a poison would help us live longer, but life is wacky like that sometimes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 I wonder how exactly alcohol lowers 'bad' cholesterol. Could it be that alcohol users are simply not spending time eating fatty foods ... ? :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmatic Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 they said that everything is good for you at the correct doses... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ObiWanToby Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Fatty Acids are probably dissolved in ethanol. Red Wines especially are good for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OuchOfDeath Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I've heard this many many times, and the #1 problem with these research studies is they are not based off of factual evidence(such as drug pharmacology, biology). They are based off of statistics. It's simply a correlation study. They run statistics of a large population, asking them their drinking habits, and deducing the results from there. The results, as you have said here, are that drinking in moderation helps the heart, however these results are simply correlation. It's entirely possible that the only reason these results show up is because people who drink in moderation have healthier lifestyles in general. It may just be a sociological behavior that seems to have popped up somehow, and may be entirely unrelated to alcohol being beneficial in any way. There are other factors that can be taken into account, such as the fact that alcohol is actually quite toxic, and other drugs that are very similar to alcohol while not being toxic at all haven't been shown to be beneficial for the heart. The reason for this is these drugs are not freely available, and are only accessible to people with certain mood disorders or people who have abuse the drugs. It's entirely possible that moderate alcohol use may have zero benefits for the heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
presence06 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Fatty Acids are probably dissolved in ethanol. Red Wines especially are good for you. Ick, red wines are no good. Unless I've just had bad wine.. g/f's parents bought some that was decent but the kind I bought was dry as a popcorn fart and just..gross. I've heard it is good for you though.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin-uk Veteran Posted February 23, 2011 Veteran Share Posted February 23, 2011 I agree, alcohol when moderating certainly does help :shifty: :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Lyle Global Moderator Posted February 23, 2011 Global Moderator Share Posted February 23, 2011 So if I stop now, I should be good for the next 3 months? Joking! But that's terrific news :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dashel Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Reasons smoking and drinking go hand in hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farstrider Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Usquebaugh (The Water Of Life) is reputed to keep you living forever if you just drink the right amount everyday! The right amount everyday is the difficult part! :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green_Eye Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I've heard this many many times, and the #1 problem with these research studies is they are not based off of factual evidence(such as drug pharmacology, biology). They are based off of statistics. It's simply a correlation study. They run statistics of a large population, asking them their drinking habits, and deducing the results from there. The results, as you have said here, are that drinking in moderation helps the heart, however these results are simply correlation. It's entirely possible that the only reason these results show up is because people who drink in moderation have healthier lifestyles in general. It may just be a sociological behavior that seems to have popped up somehow, and may be entirely unrelated to alcohol being beneficial in any way. There are other factors that can be taken into account, such as the fact that alcohol is actually quite toxic, and other drugs that are very similar to alcohol while not being toxic at all haven't been shown to be beneficial for the heart. The reason for this is these drugs are not freely available, and are only accessible to people with certain mood disorders or people who have abuse the drugs. It's entirely possible that moderate alcohol use may have zero benefits for the heart. Very well put and welcome to Neowin (Y) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted February 24, 2011 Member Share Posted February 24, 2011 This isn't anything new. I've been hearing this for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoea Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 While I agree this simply shows a correlation, any review of 30 years of research has got to be good. 25% reduced risk is a large difference. Worth knowing about at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solid Knight Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Alcohol also negatively impacts your brain, liver, kidneys, and skin. There are other ways to reduce cardiovascular diseases that don't involve ingesting a toxic substance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason S. Global Moderator Posted February 24, 2011 Global Moderator Share Posted February 24, 2011 What sort of alcohol? Cheap, crappy lager or champagne? alcohol is alcohol, yo pick your poison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted February 25, 2011 Author Share Posted February 25, 2011 I believe grape juice would be better. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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