Monday, November 18, 2013

Are there any statistically proven health benefits from the use of alcohol?


There is the common idea that a glass of wine a day is beneficial for the health of your heart. Is this a misconception or is there any truth behind the statement? Many people will argue that alcohol in moderation has some health benefits. According to the Mayo Clinic, moderate alcohol consumption can provide health benefits in a few areas: Reduce your risk of developing heart disease, reduced risk of dying of a heart attack, possibly reduce your risk of strokes, particularly ischemic strokes, lower your risk of gallstones and possible reduce your risk of diabetes. They also state that “evidence about the possible health benefits of alcohol isn’t certain, and alcohol may not benefit everyone who drinks.” According to their research there are some benefits, but I have not found any hard statistics to back up the evidence on this particular website. Another website, Alcohol Problems and solutions, gave statics in a general context. One example stating, “a large-scale study in china found that middle-aged men who drank moderately had a nearly 20% lower overall mortality compared with abstainers. “ So to the answer the question, there are some statics to prove that moderate drinking can have some health benefits. I do not feel the statics are specific enough to make a strong argument that the consumption of moderate alcohol is beneficial to your health.

Sources:

Sarah F M

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