The 6 research arguments in praise of moderate alcohol consumption
Friday, June 7, 2024.
Alcohol consumption, when done in moderation, has been linked to a variety of benefits, including improved cognitive function, enhanced attractiveness, and a reduced risk of certain diseases.
However, the research community has shifted to a more skeptical and measured discussion of the benefits of alcohol.
Here's an objective, closer look at some of the contrarian findings on the benefits of moderate alcohol intake from recent research:
Better Cognitive Function: Moderate wine consumption has been linked to higher performance on cognitive tests. A study followed 5,033 people in Norway for over 7 years and found that moderate wine consumption (at least four times over two weeks) was associated with better cognitive function. Interestingly, women who did not drink wine actually had significantly lower scores on the tests (Anttila et al., 2004).
You Look More Attractive: A study found that one or two glasses of wine can make the drinker look more attractive to others. However, consuming three or four glasses does not have the same effect. This is the first study to demonstrate that alcohol consumption can increase other people's ratings of attractiveness, potentially leading to greater sexual interest from potential mates (Attwood et al., 2012).
Lower Alzheimer’s Risk: Consuming one drink a day or less for women and 1-2 drinks a day for men has been found to reduce the risk of developing dementia. This translates to between 8 and 14 drinks per week. The study, which is one of the largest and longest on the subject, highlights the potential benefits of moderate alcohol intake in preventing Alzheimer's disease and other dementias (Ruitenberg et al., 2002).
Lower Risk of Depression: Moderate alcohol intake, particularly in the form of wine, has been linked to a reduced risk of developing depression. This protective effect is similar to that observed for heart disease, suggesting that lower amounts of alcohol intake may exert protection against depression through common disease mechanisms (Gea et al., 2013).
Better Memory for the Past: Light or moderate alcohol intake is associated with better recall of past events in people over 60. Additionally, moderate alcohol consumption has been linked to an increased size of the hippocampus, the area of the brain crucial to memory. While this association was found for better memories of past events, there was no link with overall mental ability (Neafsey & Collins, 2011).
Improved Spatial Memory: Research suggests that one to three glasses of champagne each week could slow memory loss from aging. Phenolic compounds in champagne, derived from red grapes used in its production, have improved spatial memory by affecting signals sent from the hippocampus to the cortex (Gori et al., 2007).
Final thoughts
These studies provide insights into the potential benefits of moderate alcohol consumption on cognitive function, attractiveness, and disease risk and are often given ticker-tape parades by the media. More recent research has tended to frame this contrarian research more realistically.
It's important to note that excessive alcohol consumption can have serious negative effects on health and should be avoided. The middling and subtle benefits of moderate alcohol consumption have never been viewed more skeptically.
Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.
REFERENCES:
Anttila, T., Helkala, E. L., Viitanen, M., Kåreholt, I., Fratiglioni, L., Winblad, B., ... & Soininen, H. (2004). Alcohol drinking in middle age and subsequent risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in old age: a prospective population based study. BMJ, 329(7465), 539.
Attwood, A. S., Scott-Samuel, N. E., Stothart, G., & Munafò, M. R. (2012). Glass shape influences consumption rate for alcoholic beverages. PloS One, 7(8), e43007.
Ruitenberg, A., van Swieten, J. C., Witteman, J. C., Mehta, K. M., van Duijn, C. M., Hofman, A., & Breteler, M. M. (2002). Alcohol consumption and risk of dementia: the Rotterdam Study. The Lancet, 359(9303), 281-286.
Gea, A., Beunza, J. J., Estruch, R., Sánchez-Villegas, A., Salas-Salvadó, J., Buil-Cosiales, P., ... & Martínez-González, M. A. (2013). Alcohol intake, wine consumption and the development of depression: the PREDIMED study. BMC medicine, 11(1), 192.
Neafsey, E. J., & Collins, M. A. (2011). Moderate alcohol consumption and cognitive risk. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 7, 465.
Gori, A., Rizzardini, M., Pellegrini, N., & Visioli, F. (2007). Development of a new multifunctional champagne wine. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 55(11), 4392-4398.
