Well, not even a glass of wine once in a while is good for your health, says Rochester doctor
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Do you recall hearing that a glass of wine a day supports heart health? As it turns out, “that initial study about drinking a little alcohol was flawed,” said Kerry Graff, physician and an independent contractor in lifestyle medicine in Rochester.
Any benefit arising from happy hour is likely because of the socializing, but not the alcohol itself.
“You could get the resveratrol from grapes,” Graff said.
This compound is known as an antioxidant and may lower cholesterol, reduce risk of heart attack and stroke and lower blood sugar levels. But eliminate or at least minimize alcohol.
“Even one drink a day increases breast cancer risk in women by 14%,” Graff noted. “It turns to formaldehyde. You see this even in wine tasters who spit it out. If you look at it overall, it’s not health promoting. If you want to include it, it’s a choice but not because it’s healthy. It’s a calculated risk; you don’t drink for good health. Wine itself is not healthy.”
As the body ages, alcohol can increase risk for falls. Within a year, older adults who fracture a hip have a 21% risk of death after a surgical repair and a 70% chance of death if it’s not surgically repaired, according to Acta Orthopaedica.
“Your balance gets worse as you age,” Graff said. “Your reaction time is slower. Your feet aren’t as good. Your nerves aren’t as good. Add alcohol to that and it’s much more prominent.”
She added that the amount of alcohol needed for impairment decreases with age. There’s also risk of complications when combined with some medications.
“The average senior is on eight medications,” Graff said.
Although having a “nightcap” to help induce sleep seems sensible, Graff said that drinking at bedtime can make it harder to fall back asleep if they wake up in the night. This can make it harder to fall asleep without it and establish a nightly drinking habit.
For those who choose to imbibe, the recommendation is no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two for men.
“If you’re not already drinking alcohol, there is no benefit to start drinking for heart health,” said Melissa Verdi, registered dietitian nutritionist at Lifestyle Nutrition WNY, PLLC in Niagara Falls.
She added that drinking alcohol is linked to liver issues and heart problems, among other problems.
“It can make it harder to control your weight,” she said.
Logan Walker, a physician at UBMD Family Medicine, calls alcohol consumption a “modifiable risk” for health.
“Our genes only account for 10% of the expression of cancer and any type of illness,” he said. “Lifestyle and environment account for 90% of the risk for expression.”
Walker explained how alcohol affects the system.
“Within 30 minutes of ingesting, there are negative microbiome changes that are pro-inflammatory,” he said. “Alcohol also causes damage to cells in the GI tract. It can increase the risk of autoimmune conditions and decrease nutrient absorption. It’s a toxin that increases the workload on the liver and burdens the kidneys.”
These negative effects are cumulative after decades of drinking alcohol, especially when consumed in excess. Choosing to not imbibe may not reverse damage already done, but it prevents further damage.
“It gives us the power in our hands that if we make changes; our genes aren’t our destiny,” Walker said.