Additional Information
Alcohol in the Diet:
Facts & Information
by David J. Hanson, Ph. D.
Both culturally and legally alcohol is food. 1 However, as long ago as the 1800s, temperance writers insisted that alcohol was not a food. 2 Instead, they described it as a poison that was dangerous to life and health. 3 That long tradition continues to this day. In fact stigmatizing alcoholic beverages and discouraging their use have actually become U.S. federal policy. 4
But the scientific medical fact is clear: drinking alcohol in moderation is associated with better health and greater longevity than is either abstaining or abusing alcohol. 5
Some critics have suggested that moderate drinkers have lower mortality than abstainers because abstainers include alcoholics who have damaged their health and no longer drink. However, even when abstainers are limited to those who have never consumed alcohol (thus excluding alcoholics), the relationship remains. That is, moderate drinkers have lower mortality than abstainers who have never consumed alcohol. 6
Critics have also suggested that the health benefits of alcohol are not in the substance but in the lifestyle of those who drink in moderation. Perhaps moderate drinkers have a better or more healthful lifestyle than do either abstainers or those who abuse alcohol. However, even when such confounding factors as diet, exercise, socio-economic status and income level are accounted for, moderate drinkers still have a lower overall mortality than either abstainers or heavy drinkers.
But which alcoholic beverage is the best choice? Well known medical authority Dr. Dean Edell explains that there are “differences of opinion about whether beer, wine, or liquor offers the quickest route to a longer life. Of ten major studies, one-third found this true for wine, one-third for beer, and one-third for liquor. Most researchers now believe that it is the alcohol in all of them that provides the magic, but they don’t rule out other components of alcoholic beverages.” 7
The bottom line is that abstaining from alcohol is a risk factor associated with poor health and early death. 8
For an overview of the subject, visit Alcohol and Health.
Summaries of Alcohol in the Diet Issues
Alcohol as a Dietary Supplement
Alcohol, Health & Longevity: Is it the Alcohol or the Lifestyle?
Abstinence is Health Risk Factor
U.S. Government: Moderate Drinking Benefits Health
“Three Budweisers Equal a Quarter Pounder”
Anti-Alcohol Bureaucrats Suppress Important Health Information
Calories, Carbs & Fat in Popular Beverages
Nutrition Labels for Alcohol Beverages
Alcopops, Calories & Weight Gain
French Grocers Sell Beer, Wine and Distilled Spirits
Alcohol & Health: Should the Public Know the Truth?
Helpful Published Reports on Alcohol and Health
Edell, D. Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Healthiness. NY: HarperCollins, 2004.
Edell, D. Eat, Drink and be Merry: America’s Doctor Tells You Why the Health Experts are Wrong. NY: HarperCollins, 1999.
Ford, G. The Science of Healthy Drinking. San Francisco, CA: Wine Appreciation Guild, 2003.
Ford, G. The Benefits of Moderate Drinking: Alcohol, Health and Society. San Francisco, CA: Wine Appreciation Guild, 1988.
Ford, G. The French Paradox & Drinking for Health. San Francisco, CA: Wine Appreciation Guild, 1993.
Fox, B. To Your Health: The Healing Power of Alcohol. NY: St. Martin‘s Press, 1997.
Gilson, C., and Bennett, V. Alcohol and Women. Irving, TX: Fusion Press, 2001.
Hellerstedt, W. L., et al. The association between alcohol intake and adiposity in the general population. American Journal of Epidemiology, 1990, 132(4), 594-611.
Kahn, H. S., et al. Stable behaviors associated with adults' 10-year change in body mass index and the likelihood of gain at the waist. American Journal of Public Health, 1997, 87(5), 747-754.
Kowalski, R.E. The New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure. NY: HarperCollins, 2002.
Liu, S., et al. A prospective study of alcohol intake and change in body weight among US adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1994, 140(10), 912-920.
MacDonald, I. (Ed.). Health Issues Related to Alcohol Consumption. Oxford: International Life Sciences Institute, Blackwell Science, 1999.
Peele, S., and Grant, M. Alcohol and Pleasure: A Health Perspective. Philadelphia, PA: Brunner/Mazel, 1999.
Prentice, A. M. Alcohol and obesity. International Journal of Obesity, 1995, 19(Suppl. 5), S44-S50.
Stuttaford, T. To Your Good Health! The Wise Drinkers Guide. London: Faber & Faber, 1997.
Willett, Walter C., with the assistance of others. Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.
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Nothing on this page constitutes medical opinion or advice. For medical diagnosis, opinion, advice or treatment consult a qualified physician.
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