*Adapted from: GET SMART: SAMANTHA HELLER’S NUTRITION PRESCRIPTION FOR BOOSTING BRAIN POWER & OPTIMIZING TOTAL BODY HEALTH [The Johns Hopkins University Press]

Samantha Heller MS RD

Alcohol makes you drunk, causes wicked hangovers and many regrets.  It is addictive. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention 50% of adults in the U.S. are current, regular drinkers.  Chronic alcohol consumption can cause cirrhosis of the liver , progressive neurodegenerative disease1, obesity, vitamin deficiencies, high blood pressure and an increased risk of certain cancers including upper aerodigestive tract, rectum, liver, and breast2-4. In addition, prolonged or excessive alcohol intake has been associated with an increased risk of dementia.5 Alcohol consumption causes more than 100,000 deaths annually in the United States5.  Alcohol is high in calories. Per gram it has almost twice as many calories as protein or carbohydrates..  An article in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology sums up the effects of drinking alcohol nicely:

“Excessive alcohol intake increases the risks of motor vehicle accidents, stroke, cardiomyopathy, cardiac dysrhythmia, sudden cardiac arrest, suicide, cancer (most notably of the breast and gastrointestinal tract), cirrhosis, fetal alcohol syndrome, sleep apnea, and all-cause mortality.6”

Thus it is natural for me to want to tell you not do drink alcohol at all.  But I have to be honest with you, there is an up side to drinking alcohol, especially wine.  It tastes good, goes great with food and has health benefits.

We have all heard that red wine is good for our heart. Scientists suggest drinking red wine decreases the risk of  cardiovascular disease and is healthy for our arteries7.  Alcohol contains antioxidants and other compounds like resveratrol that may be cardio protective as well as neuroprotective.  Research studies that have examined the relationship between alcohol consumption and dementia suggest that there might be an association between small to moderate amounts of alcohol and a reduced risk of dementia8. 

For example:

▪The Nurses Health study found that in women, up to one drink per day does not impair cognitive function and may actually decrease the risk of cognitive decline9.

▪In patients with mild cognitive impairment, up to 1 drink/day of alcohol or wine may decrease the rate of progression to dementia10

▪A study with a 34 year follow up (a really long time in science) found that in women wine was protective of dementia but that beer and spirits may increase the risk of dementia11.

▪The Cardiovascular Health Study reported that compared with non-drinkers those who drank  1 to 6 drinks weekly had a lower risk of incident dementia among older adults12.

To Drink or Not To Drink

The American Heart Association says that if you drink, do so “in moderation.”   The AHA says one drink is one 12 oz. beer, 4 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof spirits, or 1 oz. of 100-proof spirits.  These days if a bartender poured you a 4 oz. glass of wine you’d think he was being chintzy.  Just look at the size of today’s wine glasses compared with 30 years ago.  So while some medical experts may recommend consuming alcohol moderately, the reality is very few people know what that means or can stick to it. My advice:  Do not start drinking alcohol if you do not drink now6.  If you do drink alcohol chances are you need to lower your intake.  It is a slippery slope for folks to only have one or two small drinks at a time.  Not many can limit themselves to that. In addition alcohol may interact with certain medications and increase the risk of liver damage.  If you are on any medications consult with your physician about drinking alcohol.

And NEVER drink and drive.  It is just not worth it.

References

1.            Balk EM, Raman G, Tatsioni A, Chung M, Lau J, Rosenberg IH. Vitamin B6, B12, and Folic Acid Supplementation and Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials. Arch Intern Med 2007;167:21-30.

2.            Beasley J, Coronado G, Livaudais J, et al. Alcohol and risk of breast cancer in Mexican women. Cancer Causes and Control 2010;21:863-70.

3.            Tjonneland A, Christensen J, Olsen A, et al. Alcohol intake and breast cancer risk: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Cancer Causes & Control 2007;18:361-73.

4.            Allen NE, Beral V, Casabonne D, et al. Moderate alcohol intake and cancer incidence in women. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2009;101:296-305.

5.            Gunzerath L, Faden V, Zakhari S, Warren K. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism report on moderate drinking. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research 2004;28:829-47.

6.            O'Keefe JH, Bybee KA, Lavie CJ. Alcohol and Cardiovascular Health: The Razor-Sharp Double-Edged Sword. J Am Coll Cardiol 2007;50:1009-14.

7.            Lippi G, Franchini M, Favaloro EJ, Targher G. Moderate red wine consumption and cardiovascular disease risk: beyond the "French paradox". Seminars in Thrombosis & Hemostasis 2010;36:59-70.

8.            Peters R, Peters J, Warner J, Beckett N, Bulpitt C. Alcohol, dementia and cognitive decline in the elderly: a systematic review. Age Ageing 2008;37:505-12.

9.            Stampfer MJ, Kang JH, Chen J, Cherry R, Grodstein F. Effects of moderate alcohol consumption on cognitive function in women.[see comment]. New England Journal of Medicine 2005;352:245-53.

10.            Solfrizzi V, D'Introno A, Colacicco AM, et al. Alcohol consumption, mild cognitive impairment, and progression to dementia. Neurology 2007;68:1790-9.

11.            Mehlig K, Skoog I, Guo X, et al. Alcoholic Beverages and Incidence of Dementia: 34-Year Follow-up of the Prospective Population Study of Women in Goteborg. Am J Epidemiol 2008;167:684-91.

12.            Mukamal KJ, Kuller LH, Fitzpatrick AL, Longstreth WT, Jr., Mittleman MA, Siscovick DS. Prospective Study of Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Dementia in Older Adults. JAMA 2003;289:1405-13.