I’ve read the red is good for you, haven’t you? The “health benefits” of wine are quoted all the time in the news, in your favorite fitness magazines and among your friends. But the beverage of choice isn’t actually delivering the goods. If the reason you’re drinking alcohol has anything to do with the possibility of a health benefit, it’s time to drop the bottle.
I know, I know. It’s a bummer. But truth be told: There’s no safe amount of alcohol.
I’ve been saying it for a while…so have the American Heart Association and most of the breast surgeons I know. But, now the evidence is really mounting. So much so that Great Britain is rewriting the rule book on their country’s health recommendations regarding alcohol (including red wine) amidst research that even occasional alcohol consumption is linked to health problems later in life. It appears they’ll be overhauling their recommendations for the first time in two decades and encouraging their people to avoid it all together.
Why the new call to action? Well, even moderate consumption of alcohol is now strongly linked to conditions like depression, breast/throat/colon/liver cancer, memory loss, kidney disease, diabetes, weight gain, lung infections, suicide, infertility, miscarriage, erectile dysfunction, osteoporosis, stroke and heart failure. This is serious business.
So, it’s time to face the facts. The benefit of drinking alcohol doesn’t remotely outweigh the risks. Looking for health benefits? Drink a glass of lemon water, eat an apple and go for a walk.
I’m with the Brits and hope to see our guidelines change with times. If you’re drinking ’cause you want to drink, that’s one thing. Drinking ’cause you think it’s healthy, that’s another. And now you know!
Raise a glass of green tea, sparkling or spring water, and let’s drink to your health!!
