In my view, enjoying a glass (or two) of wine, beer, or spirits with dinner (and at social engagements) is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Not to mention, people who consume any type of alcohol in moderation SLASH their risk of developing chronic diseases…including heart disease.
But I never thought I’d see the day when the stodgy drug-pushers at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) would recognize the impressive health benefits of moderate drinking.
Thankfully, it appears they have finally seen the light…
We’ve known about alcohol’s protective benefits for DECADES!
I vividly recall my professors and clinicians at the University of Pennsylvania during the 1970s telling us that patients who drank alcohol developed MUCH LESS heart disease. They based this conclusion on DECADES of clinical observations on hundreds of thousands of individual patients.
But, of course, the scientific world (and organizations like the ACC) couldn’t just accept that general observation from practicing physicians. So, they went down a long, winding, and expensive path—searching for the “magic bullet” ingredient in alcohol that must confer all the benefits.
But, unsurprisingly, that magic bullet never appeared. For one very simple reason…
Moderate drinking works to reduce heart disease risk simply by promoting relaxation and reducing stress due the effects of moderate alcohol itself. And stress is the No. 1 killer lurking behind high blood pressure and heart disease. (It also contributes to other chronic diseases, including dementia, Type II diabetes, gastrointestinal [GI] problems, immune system imbalances, and even cancer.)
Moderate alcohol also improves circulation and thins the blood…which protects the heart, brain, and other tissues around the body against disease.
Now, let’s look closer at the new study on the benefits of moderate drinking, which was presented at the ACC’s annual conference…
Alcohol calms stress signals in the brain
For this new study, researchers with Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston looked at the connection between alcohol consumption and heart disease in 53,000 people in their late 50s.
All the participants filled out surveys about the amount of alcohol they consumed each week. Then, the researchers classified drinkers into three categories:
- Low (less than one drink/week)
- Moderate (one to 14 drinks/week)
- High (over 14 drinks/week)
More than 750 participants also underwent brain scans, which allowed researchers to objectively measure activity in the amygdala, a region of the brain associated with stress.
They also monitored all the participants for major heart events, such as heart attack or stroke.
It turns out, only 13 percent of drinkers in the moderate consumption group suffered a heart event. By comparison, 17 percent of drinkers in the low consumption group suffered one.
This means that moderate drinkers enjoyed an impressive 31 percent lower risk of suffering a tragic and life-changing heart attack or stroke compared to low drinkers.
Moderate drinkers also showed less stress-related brain activity in the amygdala.
According to Dr. Kenechukwu Mezue, the study’s lead researcher, the study “suggests that moderate alcohol intake beneficially impacts the brain-heart connection.”
And that’s an excellent point…
In fact, we know moderate drinking supports brain function by pushing important nutrients to the brain. And that mechanism likely explains why moderate drinkers are more likely than teetotalers to reach the age of 85 without developing dementia!
Finally accepting the known heart (and brain) benefits
In the end, I’m glad the word is finally getting out about the many heart (and brain) benefits of moderate drinking. Apparently, the word’s even getting out to brewmasters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin…
In fact, I recently met a retired brewmaster who was wintering in Florida. He shared with me the minutes from a recent meeting of the Miller-Coors Retirees Association, which included a presentation on how moderate drinking can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. They even handed out copies of an article about the topic from my monthly newsletter, Insiders Cures (“BREAKING NEWS: New research identifies four early warning signs of Alzheimer’s”). You, too, can get access to that article by becoming a newsletter subscriber.
In the end, it appears that the ACC has finally accepted moderate drinking is just good for what ails you. And, in the case of my retired brewmaster friends, it’s good for what “ales” you, too.
P.S. There are many safe, effective, natural approaches to protecting your heart, in addition to moderate drinking, as I outline in my Heart Attack Prevention and Repair Protocol. To learn more about this comprehensive online learning tool, or to enroll today, click here now!
Source:
“Alcohol in Moderation May Help the Heart by Calming Stress Signals in the Brain.” American College of Cardiology, 5/6/21. (acc.org/about-acc/press-releases/2021/05/05/19/14/alcohol-in-moderation-may-help-the-heart-by-calming-stress-signals-in-the-brain