As all of the Christmas parties approach I thought that it would be a good time to address a common belief around our Chrissie drinks. It is widely believed and talked about that drinking in moderation is good for you but there is plenty of research to indicate that this may not in fact be the case.
For instance, the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine has said that “Because of the many obvious health hazards of alcohol and because the benefits of alcohol are small and ill understood the recommendation to be a light drinker is not only meaningless but also irresponsible".
Studies have shown that excessive drinking can increase your risk of getting cancer of the mouth, larynx, esophagus, liver, colon, breast, pancreas, and lungs and according to a report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the more alcohol you consume, the higher your risk.
The World Health Organization has estimated that alcohol has caused over two million deaths worldwide each year and there has been shown to be a linear relationship between alcohol consumption and death over the age of 60. In other words, drink a little and be a little bit more likely to die; drink a lot and be a lot more likely.
The main benefit associated with alcohol, and especially wine, consumption is the benefit to cardiovascular health. This is largely related to the bioflavnoids and antioxidants found in the grape skins and seeds. It is not the alcohol content that is helpful.
There are better ways to get bioflavenoids and antioxidants, such as eating lots of fruits and vegetables, especially grapes.
There are also lots of other ways to improve your cardiovascular health such as eating a well balanced diet with lots of fruits, vegetables and water, eating Omega-3 fatty acids and of course exercise.
Dr Brett Hill's top 5 tips for looking after your heart this Christmas:
1. If you want to have a celebratory drink that's not alcoholic, try the champagne tea from The T-Bar at the Central Markets or have a mocktail, such as the brilliant concoctions made by Amanda Daniel at Distill in Rundle St.
2. If you do drink be sure to space it out with lots of pure water.
3. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
4. Eat plenty of fresh fish.
5. Do regular moderate to low intensity exercise.
Do you think alcohol is good for your health?
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