The perception amongst the general public and even amongst health professionals is that drinking alcohol is bad for the health and can make you fat. The problem with this viewpoint is that it is simply not true. Many studies have investigated the energy intake and body weights of drinkers and nondrinkers and consistently, the drinkers are healthier, happier and leaner. The fact that moderate drinking shows a negative correlation with the risk of cardiovascular disease is also problematic for the hypothesis that drinking is an unhealthy endeavour. Two possible mechanisms are known that can explain the ability of moderate drinking to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Firstly, ethanol (like all alcohols) increases the fluidity of cell membranes and this causes a decrease in the propensity for platelets to aggregate for around 24 hours after drinking alcohol. Secondly, It is known that the micronutrient intakes of those who drink are different from those who do not drink, particularly with regard sugar intake.
For example in one study1, researchers investigated the macronutrient intake of a group of 691 white upper middle class subjects in California. Macronutrient and alcohol intakes were estimated from 24-hour dietary recall questionnaires. From the questionnaires it was observed that around 51 % of the subjects had consumed an average of 30 grams of alcohol in the proceeding day. The food records of the subjects suggested that the drinkers had significantly higher energy intakes than the non-drinkers on account of the energy from alcohol they consumed (alcohol provided 7 kcal per gram). However, they also had lower intake of protein, carbohydrate and fat compared to the non-drinkers. Therefore the consumption of alcohol appears to cause alterations in the macronutrient intake of drinkers. Moderate drinkers in particular had a much lower intake of carbohydrates than non-drinkers and this was accounted for largely by a reduction in sugar intake.
However, despite the extra calories consumed by the drinkers, their body weights were not heavier than the non-drinkers. In fact evidence from other studies (here) suggests that drinkers have lower body weights than non-drinkers. This is interesting because it suggests that the calories in alcohol might not be utilised in the same way as those from other macronutrients. The fact that drinkers consume less sugar is also interesting because sugar is a driver of obesity. This results from the detrimental effects of fructose on the liver, which can ultimately lead to insulin resistance and weight gain. All diets that cause successful long term weight loss are low sugar diets. The lower sugar intake of drinkers therefore explains their lower body weights despite generally having higher energy intakes compared to nondrinkers. As insulin resistance and the associated metabolic syndrome increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, the lower sugar intakes in drinkers may also explain their lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
Dr Robert Barrington’s Nutritional Recommendation: Moderate drinking is good for the health. Alcohol not only appears to keep people happier but also thinner. The fact that moderate drinkers also have a lower risk of disease is also good reason to regularly consume alcohol. Red wine might be particularly beneficial because of its high concentrations of polyphenolic antioxidants.
RdB
