A is for Alcohol

Thank you for your suggestions and feedback on our new blog posts, A to Z….Simple, Practical, Science-Based Tips for a Long Healthy Life. Keep the ideas for blog posts coming and please share our posts on your social media feeds.

Now back to A is for Alcohol.

Who doesn’t love happy hour? Enjoying a drink with family or friends is enjoyable, for those who choose to drink, but alcohol isn’t a health drink. Research on the positive health benefits of alcohol is based on observational data showing a correlation of moderate alcohol consumption on health outcomes. New research on alcohol shows that for adults over the age of 40, small amounts of alcohol are not harmful to health, but the key is the amount consumed. As we age, the risk for cancer increases and alcohol intake can contribute to that risk.

The best advice remains to follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, “If alcohol is consumed, it should be in moderation—up to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men. However, the Guidelines do not recommend that people who do not drink alcohol start drinking for any reason.” A standard drink is 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits (80 proof), 5-ounces of wine, and 12-ounces of beer. Here’s the rub, many alcoholic beverages are higher in alcohol content than you might think. Ready-to-drink cocktails, triple distilled spirits, and craft beers can contain more alcohol than a “standard” drink. So, know your drink and know your pour if you want to stick to the recommendations for moderation.

What Does it Mean for You?

·             Alcohol doesn’t have a nutrition label like foods, so look for the ABV or Alcohol by Volume on the label. The higher the number, the higher the alcohol content.

·             A standard drink contains 0.6 ounces of alcohol; it doesn’t matter if it is beer, wine, or spirits and there is no health advantage to one over the other.

·             Use an online calculator, like the Standard Drinks Calculator, to figure out how much of your favorite beverage is equivalent to a standard drink.

·             Red wine contains an antioxidant called resveratrol, but resveratrol is quickly eliminated from the gut, and one needs to drink large amounts of wine for any appreciable amounts of resveratrol to enter the bloodstream.

·             Older adults metabolize and eliminate alcohol at a slower rate than younger adults, which leads to higher blood alcohol levels and therefore affects the brain at lower levels of intake.

Watch for our next post, S is for Soy. We decided not to follow the logical A, B, C approach so we can respond to your requests for topics and include timely information. You can search for post using the search box. Keep the suggestions coming in the comments or by email at chrisrosenbloom@gmail.com