Page 33 - BBC - The Scientific Guide to a Healthier You
P. 33
DIET
people who are in poor health, and
that skews the apparent benefits of
moderate drinking. He recommends
abstinent days, abstinent months
and, if you actually don’t miss the
stuff, abstinent years.
Dr Alexander Jones, a consultant
cardiologist and clinical scientist at
University College London, agrees
that alcohol raises your risk of a
wide range of cancers. He believes,
however, that there is evidence that
alcohol can be beneficial for the
heart, at least in relatively low doses.
“Heavy drinkers have a much higher
risk of developing heart disease than
non-drinkers,” he says. “But there are
large prospective studies which show
that if you drink modest amounts of
alcohol, up to say two units a day,
can be sociable and may be beneficial for us Cross-section of a liver then you are less likely to develop coronary
showing the condition
purely for those reasons. cirrhosis (where normal heart disease or stroke later on in life.”
“There are 60 different ways at least that liver tissue is replaced by So, who is right? The best way to assess the
scar tissue), which is often
alcohol can make you unwell or kill you,” he caused by excessive impact of moderate drinking would be to take
tells me over a glass of water. “It’s not just alcohol consumption a large group of non-drinkers and randomly
the obvious things like liver disease. A man allocate them to either drinking alcohol or
drinking three to four units a day increases his water, then follow them for many years. Such
risk of developing prostate cancer. Alcohol, at a study would be almost impossible to do. But
whatever level, raises a woman’s risk of breast a study along more modest lines was published
cancer. There would be 10 per cent fewer in 2015 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. For
deaths from breast cancer worldwide if there this study, researchers at Ben-Gurion University
was no drinking.” in Israel took 224 type 2 diabetics who rarely
Stockwell thinks the studies that suggest drank and randomly allocated them to either
moderate drinking is protective are flawed. He a 150ml glass of red wine, white wine or
says the problem is that the group of people who mineral water with their evening meal, every
‘don’t drink’ often includes former alcoholics and evening, for two years. For context, 150ml 5
HOW MANY UNITS ARE THERE IN MY DRINK?
9.8 2.3 2.8 1 2.3
units units units unit units
13% wine 13% wine 5% cider 40% whiskey 4% beer
Recommended weekly
maximum = 14 units
