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The Truth We Won't Admit: Drinking Is Healthy

psmag.com

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Re: The Truth We Won't Admit: Drinking Is Healthy

#11

Post by chriskanan »

js2 wrote: post #5

I don't know a site that collects more research on the topic than http://www2.potsdam.edu/alcohol/AlcoholAndHealth.html

The evidence definitely seems to be converging on non-drinking as less healthy than light or moderate drinking.

My question is, why does alcohol have these health benefits? Some earlier work pointed to resveratrol in wine, but there is a lot of doubt that's been cast on that hypothesis and the general benefits of alcohol seem to be agnostic regarding the particular form of beverage.

Re: The Truth We Won't Admit: Drinking Is Healthy

#12

Post by Stronico »

_delirium wrote: post #6

> If you don’t distinguish binge drinking from daily moderate drinking, that would be due to Americans’ addiction-phobia, which causes them to interpret any daily drinking as addictive. This is a quite common attitude in northern Europe as well, or at least in the Nordic countries. In Denmark it's highly suspicious to drink alcohol on a weekday ( especially at lunch), unless it's a holiday, and will lead people to wo…

Well, daily drinking is a good predictor - 100% of practicing alcoholics drink every day after all.

Re: The Truth We Won't Admit: Drinking Is Healthy

#13

Post by davvid »

The author has been funded in the past by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (a trade organization) and the Wine Institute.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanton_Peele#Funding

This article makes it sound like there are no health concerns with regular drinking.

Re: The Truth We Won't Admit: Drinking Is Healthy

#14

Post by seabrookmx »

michaelbuddy wrote: post #8
mprny wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Smoking? :)

For cigarettes, if you dial back what you consider moderation to say, maybe a cig or two socially every couple weeks, that would not likely be the thing that killed you. there are smokers like that, they just have a couple at a party, not very often. It's not something most people would do but there are some out there that do.

I'd say most cigar or pipe smokers I know are like this.

I think it's less common with cigarettes now for various reasons. The social stigma, the fact that they are much more convenient, and that they deliver their nicotine "hit" much faster, I would imagine makes them more addictive.

Re: The Truth We Won't Admit: Drinking Is Healthy

#16

Post by Tiksi »

jnbiche wrote: post #9

What if a pharmaceutical company invented a pill that resulted in a modest but significant reduction in the risk of heart disease in 90% of the population, but resulted massive increase in the risk of premature mortality in 10% of the population, easily shaving off 10-40 years in life expectancy in that 10%, depending on the severity of their reaction to the drug. The company could find absolutely no way to tell the…

And yet opiates are both approved by the FDA, and widely prescribed by doctors. As far as I know they carry a much higher addiction risk and increase mortality quite a bit more than alcohol does.

Benzos, amphetamines, SSRIs, etc etc. There are plenty of pills both approved and prescribed that have a worse effect and/or affect a higher percentage of people.

Re: The Truth We Won't Admit: Drinking Is Healthy

#17

Post by dimitar »

_delirium wrote: post #6

> If you don’t distinguish binge drinking from daily moderate drinking, that would be due to Americans’ addiction-phobia, which causes them to interpret any daily drinking as addictive. This is a quite common attitude in northern Europe as well, or at least in the Nordic countries. In Denmark it's highly suspicious to drink alcohol on a weekday ( especially at lunch), unless it's a holiday, and will lead people to wo…

Binge drinking can cause deaths and injuries without addiction.

Re: The Truth We Won't Admit: Drinking Is Healthy

#19

Post by csomar »

jnbiche wrote: post #9

What if a pharmaceutical company invented a pill that resulted in a modest but significant reduction in the risk of heart disease in 90% of the population, but resulted massive increase in the risk of premature mortality in 10% of the population, easily shaving off 10-40 years in life expectancy in that 10%, depending on the severity of their reaction to the drug. The company could find absolutely no way to tell the…

Are you really sure about that? Do you know Isotretinoin? You may want to do a little search about it. Look at the serious adverse effects and harms it cause [0].

Despite that, a huge numbers of doctors (in many countries around the world) do administer it. Why? Because it makes money for the pharmaceutical industry.

So the answer: Yes, the FDA will approve that magical pill.

*[0]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotretinoin#Adverse_effects

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