There is lots of hype about the health benefits of drinking wine, sparked by a series of medical reports that credit the ancient beverage with everything from reduced risk of coronary disease to cancer prevention. But, experts warn, this isn’t a licence for a drinking binge. In fact, wine is beneficial only in low doses, and alcohol of any kind
should be off-limits for many.

“The subject of wine and the potential health benefits has certainly received a lot of press, and people like good news,” says Ra-mona Josephson, a dietician and nutrition coach in Vancouver. “While it is true that there are components in wine, red in particular, that are known to be beneficial, you have to consider the health risks of any form of alcohol.”

Wine has been in the spotlight because the grapes used to make it contain polyphenols, a broad class of plant compounds known for their antioxidant properties. Two compounds in particular — reservation and flavonoids — are found in the skins and seeds of the grapes, and are known to increase levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) and prevent blood from clotting. Flavonoids also act to prevent plaque formation in the arteries.

The compounds are found in both red and white grapes, but only red wine reaps their full benefits because the skin and seeds of the grapes remain in contact during fermentation, which also explains why the wine is red.

Josephson says the same antioxidants can be found in peanuts, blueberries and cranberries, and drinking wine for its nutritional benefits alone “is not a justification for consuming alcohol.”

The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation is also cautious. The organization published a guideline for low-risk drinking in 2002; it doesn’t publicly advocate alcohol consumption in any quantity, a spokesperson says.

All this research can be confusing and even contradictory. For every positive report on the impact of consuming wine and other forms of alcohol, there is another study saying the opposite. A highly publicized report by the New England Journal of Medicine in 2003 found that men who consumed one or two alcoholic drinks (wine, spirits and beer) three times a week have a decreased risk of heart attack compared with those who abstained. Detractors have poked holes in the study, citing various well-established health risks associated with alcohol consumption — including addiction, driving accidents and liver disease — that far outweigh the cardiovascular benefits

Dr. Tim Stockwell, director of the Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia in Victoria, is more optimistic about the benefits of alcohol consumption. He says such studies are a sign that any type of alcohol, not just wine, may be beneficial in moderation.

“The consensus in the medical and research community is that light alcohol consumption protects against heart disease,” he says.

Stockwell’s statement comes with two caveats: first, it excludes people who should abstain from alcohol altogether, including pregnant women, those taking prescription drugs and anyone with an increased risk of liver disease. Second, it takes little alcohol to reap the health benefits. For women, that means between a half and one drink a day, with no more than about 12 milligrams of alcohol in a single drink. For men, it is no more than two drinks daily.

A common misconception is what “moderate” drinking entails. In most social situations, drinkers consume far more than the daily recommendation. “‘Moderate’ is such a loose concept,” says Stockwell. “It means whatever we’d like it to mean, so you have to be careful about how much you consume.”

Stockwell adds that more research is needed before all the risks and benefits of alcohol consumption are known. For instance, researchers still don’t know if those who drink throughout their lives are as likely to benefit from alcohol consumption as those who begin later in life. And most studies focus on people aged 45 and older; more research is needed to determine the effects among younger drinkers.

In the meantime, here are some tips from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto found in its publication, The Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines:

> if you don’t already drink alcohol, don’t start for health reasons;

> if you choose to drink, pace yourself. Wait an hour between drinks. Women should limit their intake to nine drinks a week and men to 14 drinks. A standard drink is five ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of spirits or 12 ounces of beer.

@page_break@> snack on crackers or drink non-alcoholic beverages such as water or fruit juice while you consume alcohol. IE