A new study found an eye-opening connection with a supposedly “healthy” dietary choice and addiction to alcohol and drugs. I’ll tell you all about that study in a moment, but first, let’s back up…
About 90 percent of people who consume alcohol do so safely and in moderation. Indeed, drinking in moderation benefits the brain — as I explained yesterday — as well as the heart. It also increased your longevity.
(I report the latest research on moderate alcohol consumption and longevity in the November 2017 issue of my Insiders’ Cures newsletter. So, if you’re not yet a subscriber, now’s the perfect time to become one.)
Unfortunately, 9 percent of people who drink cannot handle it. And they’re susceptible to a host of diseases. They’re also responsible for the majority of fatal motor vehicle accidents on the road. (NOT the 91 percent of men and women who have a drink or two with dinner and then get behind the wheel. Yet nanny governments keep ratcheting down on these safe, social drinkers.)
Ironically, the very same nanny governments that keep pushing down limits on moderate drinkers push legalization of marijuana. But marijuana poses a huge problem in states that have legalized the drug.
Take Colorado, for example. It led the way in legalizing marijuana. And a recent study shows that it has since experienced a 66 percent rise in traffic deaths. It has also experienced increases in emergency room visits and crime rates.
Changes in smoking habits
Smoking is a similar story…
Once upon a time, most people who smoked never became addicted to it. Indeed, for centuries, people only used tobacco occasionally after a meal or in a social setting, like a pub. People just didn’t have time or opportunity to “chain smoke” more than the equivalent of a half-pack per day.
This kind of light smoking isn’t the overwhelming health problem it’s made out to be. But you never hear anyone, except me, talk about the scientific research, which shows that smoking less than a half-pack per day — or one cigar or pipe daily — doesn’t cause health problems. In fact, my research from the 1980s found a connection between light smoking and a healthier body weight.
But then, during WWI, manufacturers began mass-producing and distributing cigarette packs. And, of course, then smoking several cigarettes in an hour became much more commonplace.
Instead of figuring out how to predict risk and target prevention to those who need it, big-government, nanny-state prohibitionists continue to drill down on the majority. They take any problem (whether an addiction, infection or behavior), which clearly applies only to one small group and apply it to the group at large.
But, as I alluded to above, is there more to the addiction story? Why do certain people run a higher risk of addiction?
Link between this “healthy” lifestyle choice and addiction
In a new study, researchers followed 5,109 women and their children. Turns out, less frequent consumption of red meat, poultry, and meat products during pregnancy was associated with increased abuse of alcohol, cannabis and cigarettes in their children during adolescence.
It baffles the mind.
Health “experts” continue to recommend limiting meat consumption. But, as these researchers noted, “nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy may result in residual neurodevelopmental harms to offspring.”
Of course, meat contains many important nutrients. Especially B vitamins. Indeed, the researchers said insufficient vitamin B levels are most likely associated with the study’s findings. Meat is also a critical source of fat-soluble vitamins like D and E.
Researchers indicate that their study points to the need to investigate potential health impacts for women who restrict certain food categories.
But I’d go a step further…
This study makes me seriously wonder if we should look at low meat consumption as a possible cause of addiction.
We know the vitamins found in meat are critical for reducing the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, dementia and Type II diabetes. They also help improve survival in patients with cancer. It’s not a far leap to conclude they’d help protect the body against addiction.
So, here’s another reason to ignore the so-called “experts’” recommendations to limit meat. And certainly remember, this holiday season, as you enjoy some festive, moderate alcohol consumption, keep up your meat intake.
Source:
“Meat Consumption During Pregnancy and Substance Misuse Among Adolescent Offspring: Stratification of TCN2 Genetic Variants,” Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research November 2017; 41(11): 1928–1937