Search resultsProtective effects following alcohol drinking
Title
Protective effects following alcohol drinking
Publication type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2000
Authors
Journal
Cahiers de Nutrition et de Dietetique
Volume
35
Issue
2
Pagination
85 - 91
Date published
2000
ISBN
00079960 (ISSN)
Keywords
Adult, Aged, alcohol, alcohol consumption, antioxidant activity, article, blood clotting, Cardio-vascular mortality, CHD, controlled study, Female, heart protection, high density lipoprotein, human, ischemic heart disease, low density lipoprotein, major clinical study, male, mortality, plasminogen activator, stress, stroke
Abstract
A critical review of the literature from 1956 demonstrates an inverse relationship between alcohol use and coronary heart disease. This is supported by the majority of case-control and population studies. In addition, a number of longitudinal studies strongly suggest that moderate alcohol consumption (5 to 30 g per day) is associated with lower cardio- vascular disease mortality, lower death from stroke and a decreased relative risk (of 30% on average) for all-causes mortality. This is explained by the fact that, at a dose of 5-20 g per day, alcohol does not increase the incidence of alcohol-related diseases. These protective effects of alcohol are observed in both sexes, from 40 to 75 years of age, and in every country. These protective effects of moderate alcohol consumption are obtained by plausible mechanisms: alcohol raises HDL plasma, levels, improves LDL catabolism, inhibits various aspects of clotting, increases the release of plasminogen activator and has stress-reducing and anti-oxidant properties. The beneficial effect is due to the content of ethanol per se rather than to any particular type of drink.