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Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

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Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#41

Post by stephengillie »

dpark wrote: post #22
arielweisberg wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My observation is that my drinking habits match my food habits. Both require careful attention although alcohol unlike food has a built-in negative feedback mechanism. I do a dry week without alcohol every once in a while just to make sure I can. I find doing a dry week without alcohol the same difficulty as dry week without diet Coke. Which is to say I like diet Coke a lot and both require effort. You get things lik…

> I find doing a dry week without alcohol the same difficulty as dry week without diet Coke. This is similarly true for me. I can abstain from alcohol, but I miss it when I do. The effort is similar to abstaining from, say, ice cream or cookies. I would eat ice cream every night if it didn't feel so unhealthy. I also find that when abstaining from alcohol, I crave ice cream and other sweets far more. Alcohol and swee…

Beer has numerous vitamins & minerals and fiber.

http://www.realbeer.com/edu/health/good-bad.php

And apparently microbrews are healthier than domestic brews.

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#43

Post by sliverstorm »

jotm wrote: post #36
hartator wrote: post #17

In France, we have a strong belief that one glass of wine per day is something sane and you should actually do it. There is no scientific study behind it and every other tests seem in fact to tend to show that alcohol is harmful for the body. But because it makes everyone happy to believe so (myself included!), we root for it.

Meanwhile, you shun antidepressants, and stimulants (Adderall, Ritalin, etc.). Just because alcohol has been discovered 10000 years ago, doesn't mean it's better than modern pharma. It's the same thing with coffee and cigarettes...

Tobacco was discovered probably just as long ago, but I don't see anyone blinded into thinking it is healthy by its antiquity.

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#44

Post by stephengillie »

saraid216 wrote: post #12
31reasons wrote: post #2

Every time some statistical "studies" come out I think of which industry is going to benefit from it.

So... what did you think of? I can't think of any industries that would directly benefit from people drinking less.

One way to look at it is that alcoholic beverages compete with other beverages, so maybe Coca-Cola and Pepsico would benefit.

Another way is that alcohol competes with other neurotropes, so maybe pharmaceutical companies and drug dealers would benefit. Or even makers of psychedelic music and images.

A third way to view it is that alcohol competes with other stress-removers, so massage therapy and calming music vendors would benefit.

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#45

Post by sliverstorm »

saraid216 wrote: post #12
31reasons wrote: post #2

Every time some statistical "studies" come out I think of which industry is going to benefit from it.

So... what did you think of? I can't think of any industries that would directly benefit from people drinking less.

The budding marijuana industry?

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#46

Post by DanBC »

jotm wrote: post #40
coldtea wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You'd be surprised. There are places that have a wine culture, where people drink with every meal and that have less alcoholics and over-consumption than other countries without such a culture.

That's because they technically are alcoholics. One small "fix" every day makes it unnecessary to binge like it's the last time (because it isn't).

Alcoholism is not "a drink a day".

http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg115

> Alcohol dependence is characterised by craving, tolerance, a preoccupation with alcohol and continued drinking in spite of harmful consequences (for example, liver disease or depression caused by drinking).

[...]

> Alcohol dependence affects 4% of people aged between 16 and 65 in England (6% of men and 2% of women), and over 24% of the English population (33% of men and 16% of women) consume alcohol in a way that is potentially or actually harmful to their health or well-being.

Notice how the rates of harmful drinking are much larger than rates for dependant drinking.

A person who drinks more than 15 units a day gets community based (outpatient, at home) assisted withdrawal. To get in-patient medical withdrawal a person needs to be drinking 30 units a day.

1 litre of spirits at 40% ABV is 40 units.

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#47

Post by coldtea »

jotm wrote: post #40
coldtea wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You'd be surprised. There are places that have a wine culture, where people drink with every meal and that have less alcoholics and over-consumption than other countries without such a culture.

That's because they technically are alcoholics. One small "fix" every day makes it unnecessary to binge like it's the last time (because it isn't).

If you have no negative effects and casually live up to 80 and 90, as these people do, then they might as well be junkies...

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#48

Post by mod »

arielweisberg wrote: post #14
uptownJimmy wrote: post #4

My purely observational take on this: moderate drinking itself is the myth: most people who drink daily do not drink in anything resembling moderate amounts, especially as the years go by.

My observation is that my drinking habits match my food habits. Both require careful attention although alcohol unlike food has a built-in negative feedback mechanism. I do a dry week without alcohol every once in a while just to make sure I can. I find doing a dry week without alcohol the same difficulty as dry week without diet Coke. Which is to say I like diet Coke a lot and both require effort. You get things lik…

> I find doing a dry week without alcohol the same difficulty as dry week without diet Coke.

I have a different experience--I find it very easy to abstain from alcohol (I probably drink one night every 2-3 weeks on average, but typically a lot on that one night). But then, I find it VERY difficult to avoid soda.

This assumes that I have both readily available in the house. I'm pretty good at not buying soda and therefore not having any to drink.

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#49

Post by mod »

DanBC wrote: post #46
jotm wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's because they technically are alcoholics. One small "fix" every day makes it unnecessary to binge like it's the last time (because it isn't).

Alcoholism is not "a drink a day". http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg115 > Alcohol dependence is characterised by craving, tolerance, a preoccupation with alcohol and continued drinking in spite of harmful consequences (for example, liver disease or depression caused by drinking). [...] > Alcohol dependence affects 4% of people aged between 16 and 65 in England (6% of men and 2% of women), and over 24% of the English…

Far less scientific, and possibly untrue, but I've heard it described as the difference in having a drink every day, and needing a drink a day.

If you can't skip that one drink, you've got a problem.

(My brother likes to quote that. I think it keeps him believing he's not an alcoholic, which he definitely is. He drinks very heavily 2-4 nights per week, and skips the other nights.)

Re: Are the benefits of moderate drinking a myth?

#50

Post by mod »

brianwawok wrote: post #15
mildbow wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you sure it's just a glass? I started like that and atleast in my case, I very much progressed far beyond moderate amounts in the span of 3 years.

I also drink moderately. Usually 1 drink per day. Once in a while 0. ~once a month 2. I think the most common forms of drinking are 0 or , but there are at least some people that moderate (I do).

I'm curious as to why you drink one drink per day.

For me, drinking is mostly about feeling different from what I normally feel. Having one drink doesn't have any noticeable impact for me, so I virtually never have just one drink except in social situations or when I just think a beer will taste good with a meal, perhaps.

I don't know where you draw the line of , or why you draw it there, but something more like 4 drinks is my norm--though my monthly consumption is likely far smaller than yours.

FWIW, compared to my peers & family, I'm definitely drinking "in moderation," even on those nights!

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