I don’t know about you, but I have found the messaging about alcohol and health to be pretty confusing. We’ve always been told that there are certain health benefits associated with moderate alcohol consumption. This is defined as one standard drink per day for women and two for men. But to be honest, it has never seemed right to me and I have walked that tight rope with clients. I couldn’t see any nutritional benefits to alcohol. After all, it is a toxin that your body has to process out and really, how much resveratrol can you realistically consume without drinking bottles and bottles of red wine? If you want to consume resveratrol, it's better to supplement. I know for myself that I definitely feel way worse when I have a drink, even a small one. Nevertheless, moderate consumption is what the accepted science told us was best for us. It turns out that like many other health recommendations that we all bought into, it is money, not our health that took priority. The alcohol studies have been largely funded by the alcohol industry and have ignored problems around the study design that may have skewed the results.
While the US CDC continues to recommend moderate drinking for health, last year, the UK updated their guidelines for alcohol consumption. The UK listened to the latest science and responded accordingly. On the UK government website it states:
“New guidelines for alcohol consumption, produced by the UK Chief Medical Officers, warn that drinking any level of alcohol increases the risk of a range of cancers. This is supported by a new review from the Committee on Carcinogenicity on alcohol and cancer risk.
It is now known that the risks start from any level of regular drinking and increase with the amount being drunk, and the new guidelines are aimed at keeping the risk of mortality from cancers or other diseases low. The links between alcohol and cancer were not fully understood in the original guidelines, which came out in 1995.
This review also found that the benefits of alcohol for heart health only apply for women aged 55 and over. The greatest benefit is seen when these women limit their intake to around 5 units a week, the equivalent of around 2 standard glasses of wine. The group concluded that "there is no justification for drinking for health reasons".”
So there you have it! I would agree that there is no justification for drinking for health reasons. Maybe there are other reasons you wish to drink and moderate drinking may be low risk, but know that health improvements from drinking are not likely. I must say, I have been feeling relieved as what I see with clients is more often the damage that it does, especially to the ability to absorb nutrients. When I see the results of micronutrient blood testing on clients who drink heavily, they often show a pattern of mal-absorption along with gut dysbiosis or leaky gut concerns (alcohol is one of the four main causes I see). This can cause a whole plethora of symptoms for them. Knowing the damage that’s been done nutritionally, means we have some direction as to how to fuel them back to wellness.
If you’ve been a drinker or if you’re just curious how you are doing, you can get your nutrient status checked with us for $100 off this month with our Fall into Wellness Deals. If you have questions about Micronutrient Blood Testing then just let us know and we can explain more.
While the US CDC continues to recommend moderate drinking for health, last year, the UK updated their guidelines for alcohol consumption. The UK listened to the latest science and responded accordingly. On the UK government website it states:
“New guidelines for alcohol consumption, produced by the UK Chief Medical Officers, warn that drinking any level of alcohol increases the risk of a range of cancers. This is supported by a new review from the Committee on Carcinogenicity on alcohol and cancer risk.
It is now known that the risks start from any level of regular drinking and increase with the amount being drunk, and the new guidelines are aimed at keeping the risk of mortality from cancers or other diseases low. The links between alcohol and cancer were not fully understood in the original guidelines, which came out in 1995.
This review also found that the benefits of alcohol for heart health only apply for women aged 55 and over. The greatest benefit is seen when these women limit their intake to around 5 units a week, the equivalent of around 2 standard glasses of wine. The group concluded that "there is no justification for drinking for health reasons".”
So there you have it! I would agree that there is no justification for drinking for health reasons. Maybe there are other reasons you wish to drink and moderate drinking may be low risk, but know that health improvements from drinking are not likely. I must say, I have been feeling relieved as what I see with clients is more often the damage that it does, especially to the ability to absorb nutrients. When I see the results of micronutrient blood testing on clients who drink heavily, they often show a pattern of mal-absorption along with gut dysbiosis or leaky gut concerns (alcohol is one of the four main causes I see). This can cause a whole plethora of symptoms for them. Knowing the damage that’s been done nutritionally, means we have some direction as to how to fuel them back to wellness.
If you’ve been a drinker or if you’re just curious how you are doing, you can get your nutrient status checked with us for $100 off this month with our Fall into Wellness Deals. If you have questions about Micronutrient Blood Testing then just let us know and we can explain more.
RSS Feed
