Drinking During The Holiday Season - USC Health Thought
Red wine appears to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in adults who drink a glass a day, says Gerald Pohost, M.D., chief of cardiovascular medicine in the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
"I tell my patients to drink a glass of red wine or grape juice a day," says Pohost, who is partial to French Burgundies. Researchers found some of the benefits from studying the French, who famously enjoy wine and high-fat foods, yet have lower rates of cardiovascular disease.
Drinking red wine while eating a meal has been found to be helpful in preventing fat from ending up sticking to arteries. Red wine has polyphenols and flavonoids - antioxidants that raise HDL (good cholesterol) levels and make fat less sticky.
Small doses of other types of alcohol have also been found to reduce the risk of heart attack by a third, according to a 2003 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Participants who drink half a serving of wine, whisky or beer every other day had the most benefit, and those who drank less frequently had smaller benefits. Drinking more than half a serving at a time did not provide any greater protection.
"A good rule of thumb is don't drink in excess of two glasses a day," Pohost says. "After that, the odds of the bad effects increase."
While it's nice to know a drink you might have anyway may have a benefit, he says, the best ways to reduce the risk of heart attack remain stopping smoking, lowering blood pressure, keeping weight in a healthy range, and getting regular exercise.
And the benefits of drinking alcohol do not outweigh the risks for everyone. Pregnant women should abstain from all alcohol, as should anyone with liver disease, ulcers, or a tendency for addiction. People with a heart valve irregularity sometimes experience palpitations when they drink more than usual during the holidays, a condition doctors have nicknamed "Holiday Heart."
Women may want to wait to make daily red wine a habit until they are over 60, since having drink a day has also been found to raise a woman's risk of breast cancer by seven percent. But after age 60, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease outweighs the risk of developing breast cancer.
For most people, the greatest risk from alcohol is of being in an accident caused by a driver who is under the influence, Pohost says.
So if you're going to drink, drink in moderation, and consider making it a glass of red wine. Health benefits aside, says Pohost, the greatest reward is getting to enjoy some good wine.
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