To Drink or Not to Drink:
Are There Really Health Benefits Associated With Moderate Alcohol Consumption?
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ENGL-1010
December 3, 2016
History suggests that mankind has been fermenting beverages since the Stone Age. These fermented beverages have been used throughout chronicled civilization for numerous reasons, ranging from religious ceremonies and medicinal purposes, to simply quenching thirst and enhancing the overall quality of life (Hanson, 2013). However, with use also comes misuse. Therefore, it’s not surprising that alcohol has long since been the subject of great controversy and extensive research. Years of testing alcohol for possible health components, coupled with studies of the actual health of moderate drinkers and non-drinkers over a period of time, indicate a benefit to overall health; red wine and its positive effects on the heart receiving most accolades.
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The definition of moderate, as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, has come to mean not more than one drink per day for women, and not more than two drinks per day for men. The quantity of one drink is also an important factor, and depends on the type of alcohol in question. One serving is considered to be 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of spirits (hard liquor), each containing roughly 12 to 14 grams of alcohol. Moderation remains at the point where the benefits outweigh the risks (Alcohol: Balancing Risks and Benefits, n.d.).
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One might wonder if the origin of alcohol plays a role when it comes to realizing health benefits. According to an article written for Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, studies show that health advantages are not reduced based on beverage choice. This suggests that it’s not the components of the drink, but rather the alcohol itself that makes the difference. The most important consideration to come from these studies is actually how often alcohol is consumed. The article states, “Men who drank every day had a lower risk of heart attack than those who drank once or twice a week.” (Is Wine Fine, or Beer Better?, n.d.). The healthy side effects of moderate alcohol consumption seem to pertain mainly to cardiovascular health, but red wine picks up additional honors for its natural occurrences of antioxidants, polyphenols and resveratrol, which has most recently been linked to slowing the effects of Alzheimer’s disease (Storrs, 2015).
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Stanton Peele, an American psychologist and author of the book Love and Addiction (1975), passionately agrees with the scientific evidence that moderate drinking is healthy and leads to a longer life. In 2014 he penned an article endorsing moderate use of alcohol for its “life-saving benefits.” He disregards the American abstinence mentality and believes it frequently fails, leading to binge consumption instead (Peele, 2014). If the epidemiological studies are correct that the mortality rate decreases with moderate use of alcohol, and I believe they are, then we need to reassess the stigma given to alcohol and those that drink it. Responsible use is possible, and also good for you.
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Conversely, there are those who are refuting the work done in previous studies because they believe the way abstainers were classified in those studies gave them bias. Researchers at the University of Victoria B.C. believe the abstainer groups included former drinkers, as well as those who don’t drink for other health reasons, putting them at a higher risk of death and skewing the study’s results (Baulkman, 2016). By focusing solely on the abstainers, I think they overlook the aspect of drink frequency that was found to be important in whether or not participants lived longer lives. Former drinkers, as in those who drank and no longer do, made up the population of participants who had a higher mortality rate. It doesn’t appear that one drink is the cure, however, a small dose taken regularly may be.
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There is substantially more convincing evidence showing benefit to a moderate drinker’s overall health than there is against it. Furthermore, alcohol has been a part of human life for thousands of years, and likely will be for thousands to come. While there can be a dark side to its use, there can also be a side where responsibility, pleasure, and a longer life resides. I choose to live there.
Annotated Bibliography
Alcohol: Balancing Risks and Benefits. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/alcohol-full-story
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This article was posted on the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s website in a section titled The Nutrition Source. An author has not been identified, therefore one may conclude this was a staff writer, writing on behalf of the School. I chose this article because I perceive an educational institution, such as Harvard, to be a credible source and one that I trusted to present unbiased facts. Included were the known benefits, as well as the known risks, which was fundamental to my essay research question.
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Baulkman, J. (2016, March 23). Moderate Alcohol Consumption May Not Offer Any Health Benefits After All; Claims May Be Based On 'Flawed' Science. Retrieved from www.medicaldaily.com/alcohol-consumption-health-benefits- moderate-drinking-flawed-science-379001
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Written by Jaleesa Baulkman for the website Medical Daily, I chose this article because it was in direct contradiction to my argument and cited analysis of previous studies as its basis. The director of the University of Victoria’s Center for Addictions Research in Canada and his team conducted the analysis, which focused on the re-categorization of the studies drinking groups. They believe once the groups were corrected for bias, the studies no longer showed health benefits to moderate consumers of alcohol. It was important to have a credible antagonist for my research essay.
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Hanson, D. J. (2013). Historical evolution of alcohol consumption in society. Alcohol: Science, Policy and Public Health, 3-12. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199655786.003.0001
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This was an excerpt from a larger scholarly article, written by David Hanson for Oxford Scholarship, which concentrated on the history of alcohol consumption as its title suggests. It provided me with detailed background information about how humans have used alcohol since its invention. I felt it necessary to provide context as to how long alcohol has been around and for what purposes it’s been used, so one may better understand the stark contrast in opinions on the topic as alcohol has been the subject of debate for centuries.
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Is Wine Fine, or Beer Better. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/is-wine-fine-or-beer-better
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This is another article missing an identifiable author that posted on the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s website in the The Nutrition Source section. The article I previously referenced, Alcohol: Balancing Risks and Benefits, linked to this article that briefly discusses which alcohols provides more health benefits. The summation was that beverage choice has minimal effect on health, which was an important point I wanted to reference in my research essay, making this a necessary citation.
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Peele, S. (2014, August 07). The Truth We Won't Admit: Drinking Is Healthy. Retrieved from www.substance.com/truth-we-wont-admit-drinking-is- healthy/10285
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While searching for an ally in a heated debate, I came across this article written by Stanton Peele Ph.D. Dr. Peele is a published author eleven times over, and has made a career in addiction research. One may assume that a substance abuse specialist would be against alcohol use regardless of health benefits, but Dr. Peele defies that stereotype. He agrees with the scientific evidence supporting moderate alcohol use, and believes that society as a whole can benefit from responsible use. His credibility as a source is what ultimately helped in my decision to choose this for my research essay.
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Storrs, C. (2015, December 11). Health effects of red wine: Where do we stand. CNN Wire Service. Retrieved from http://sks.sirs.com
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Carina Storrs authored this article that posted to CNN Wire Service. It narrowed in on the health effects, if any, of red wine. The article was lengthy and provided background information on the debate over alcohol’s health benefits, and gives specific detail on recent studies pertaining to red wine. I believe CNN to be a credible news source, and the topic of this article was essential to my research essay.