Benefits of Drinking Still Doubtful
Wine producers recently won permission to display new labels on their bottles that urge consumers to learn more about “the health effects of wine consumption.” Realizing that some people may not have time to consult their doctors on this matter--and as a result they may draw an incorrect message from these labels--I would like to share a few important facts.
The new labels are based upon language in the government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which refer to evidence “suggesting that moderate drinking is associated with a lower risk for coronary heart disease in some individuals.” While that may be true, it is important to also note that the dietary guidelines do not actually recommend consumption of alcoholic beverages. What’s more, the guidelines list large segments of the population who should not drink at all: women who are pregnant or trying to conceive, people using prescription and over-the-counter medications, people who drive cars or take part in activities that require attention or skill, and recovering alcoholics and people whose family members have alcohol problems.
The abuse of alcohol is a serious problem in this country today. Misuse of alcohol accounts for about 100,000 deaths a year in America, making it the third leading behavioral cause of death behind tobacco and diet-physical inactivity.
Yet recent studies show that 32% of our high school students and 42% of our college students admit to binge drinking--that is, they drink more than five drinks at one occasion. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1997 cited an increased prevalence of alcohol use among pregnant women.
While the precise causes of these dangerous drinking practices are unclear, we must be cautious about taking any actions which would further exacerbate these trends.
The wine industry says it only seeks to balance the negative information contained in the federal health warning with the positive health effects associated with “moderate” drinking. Unfortunately, there is much confusion among the general public about moderate drinking.
A study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that most people consider themselves to be “moderate” drinkers even though the levels at which they drink vary widely. For example, its study found that heavy drinkers thought almost six drinks per occasion was moderate when that actually qualifies as binge drinking.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s widely recognized definition of “moderate” drinking is two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women and elderly men (with a drink defined as 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits). Furthermore, the science on moderate drinking is still evolving. A 1997 report supported by the institute found that moderate maternal alcohol use, defined as three drinks per week in the first trimester, was associated with more than a two-fold increase in risk of spontaneous abortion.
A 1996 study supported by the National Institutes of Health described the unexpected formation of a recognized bio-marker that is evidence of tissue damage at moderate drinking levels. Meanwhile, the jury is still out on recent studies that indicate a possible association between increased breast cancer risk and even moderate drinking levels.
Clearly, more study is needed in order to help doctors advise their patients on the health effects of wine.
As a physician and a public health professional, I strongly urge Americans seeking information about the “health effects” of wine or any alcoholic beverage to make sure to get a balanced accounting of the risks as well as the possible benefits.
