PICTURE THIS: A HEALTH DRAMA WHERE ALCOHOL and your heart waltz in a dance of benefits and risks. Are you ready for alcohol’s first move? Today, we explore the relationship between spirits and heart health.
Bear with me, as today I will explain with a dance analogy.
As we raise our glasses in celebration or unwind with a nightcap, the question looms: Are we engaging in a rhythmic waltz with cardiovascular benefits or stumbling through a hazardous cha-cha of risks?
Red Wine, Polyphenols, and Heart Health
I grew up hearing that red wine led to cardiovascular health improvements.
Antioxidants (polyphenols) in red wine may help protect the lining of blood vessels in the heart. The polyphenol resveratrol is one part of red wine that’s been noted to be health-promoting.
Interested in consuming resveratrol? You can find it red grape skin. You can also find it in red wine, berries, peanuts (who knew?), and other foods and berries.
On the other hand, resveratrol supplements have yet to be well-studied in people.
More recently, I have heard many health negatives attached to alcohol consumption. How should we interpret these mixed signals?
The Graceful Lead: Cardiovascular Benefits
Research suggests that moderate alcohol consumption may be associated with certain cardiovascular benefits.
For instance, the famous “French Paradox” highlights the seemingly contradictory relationship between the French diet, rich in wine, and a relatively low incidence of cardiovascular diseases.
The alcohol content, particularly in red wine, is believed to contribute to this phenomenon. Here’s the Harvard Health Letter on the topic:
The French Paradox refers to the notion that drinking wine [especially red] may explain the relatively low rates of heart disease among the French, despite their fondness for cheese and other rich, fatty foods.
This theory helped spur the discovery of a host of beneficial plant compounds known as polyphenols.
Moderate Alcohol May Increase “Good” Cholesterol
Moderate alcohol consumption may increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, often called the “good” cholesterol.
HDL cholesterol removes excess cholesterol from the bloodstream, reducing the risk of arterial plaque formation and cardiovascular diseases.
“I began to think vodka was my drink at last. It didn’t taste like anything, but it went straight down into my stomach like a sword swallowers’ sword and made me feel powerful and godlike.” ― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
Potential Risks of Alcohol
To understand the complex dance between spirits and cardiovascular health, we must acknowledge that alcohol exhibits a dual nature.
While the graceful lead of alcohol’s potential benefits is captivating, it is crucial to recognize that you can take a hazardous turn with excessive drinking.
Heavy alcohol consumption has been consistently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, including the following:
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Arrhythmias
- Coronary artery disease
- Cardiomyopathy
- Heart attack
- Stroke
Other Alcohol Risks
The toxic effects of excessive alcohol on the heart are multifaceted. Chronic alcohol consumption can lead to the accumulation of fat in the liver, a condition known as fatty liver disease.
This, in turn, contributes to systemic inflammation and metabolic disturbances, fostering an environment conducive to cardiovascular ailments.
Furthermore, heavy drinking can disrupt the delicate rhythm of the heart, leading to arrhythmias and an increased susceptibility to sudden cardiac events. Alcohol consumption transforms into a dangerous dance, where each step risks the harmony of cardiovascular well-being.
Navigating the Choreography: Moderation Is Key
In the complex choreography of alcohol consumption, the key to a harmonious performance lies in moderation.
But what is moderation? We can argue about a definition, but the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020 2025 gives guidance, defining it this way:
Moderate drinking is a maximum of one drink per day for women (and two former).
It’s important to note that a “drink” is typically considered 14 grams of pure alcohol, equivalent to about 5 ounces of wine.
Staying within these recommended limits allows many individuals to enjoy the potential cardiovascular benefits of alcohol without subjecting their hearts to the dangers of heavy drinking.
J-Shaped Relationship?
You may have heard that alcohol consumption has a J-shaped correlation with cardiovascular health.
A low to moderate consumption is better than none, but too much is bad.
The problem with this historical view is that it was based on observational studies.
A New Study Examines the Alcohol: Heart Connection
A new study published online at BMC Medicine provides insights regarding alcohol and heart health.
Senior author Jiantao Ma, PhD, MBBS, explains how his team conducted the study:
“We adopted an association analysis, looking at 60 metabolites produced during or after alcohol has been metabolized, to see whether those metabolites can link alcohol consumption with CVD.”
The team used data from 2458 Framingham Heart Study Offspring participants (average age, 56), calculating the cumulative average alcohol consumption from total beer, wine, and liquor intake over an average 20-year period.
Most participants were overweight, close to one-fifth were current smokers, and 636 developed CVD over the study period.
Researchers assessed the participants every four to eight years, with metabolites measured during the fifth examination.
New Study Results
Is alcohol good or bad for my heart?
The answer may depend on the presence of circulating metabolites of alcohol, some of which may be beneficial while others may be harmful, new research suggests.
The relationship is quite complex. Some metabolites protect against cardiovascular disease, while others cause harm.
My Take — Spirits and Heart Health
In terms of all-cause mortality, a 2023 systemic review and meta-analysis left these takeaway points:
- No amount of alcohol consumption led to a longer life.
- Increased risk of premature death is associated with more than three beverages daily in men (and more than two in women).
The study authors add this: “Prior studies that suggested improved outcomes with moderate alcohol intake often mischaracterized former heavy drinkers as ‘nondrinkers’ and inconsistently used occasional drinkers or lifetime nondrinkers as the reference groups.
Final Thoughts – Spirits and Heart Health
Based on this new analysis, I will not suggest to my patients that a little alcohol may be beneficial. Rather, at higher levels, it appears to be detrimental.
Mom was right: All in appropriate moderation (or abstention). Moreover, we all differ in our response to alcohol.
Overall, health, genetics, and lifestyle contribute to this variability.
“[I]t is the wine that leads me on,
the wild wine
that sets the wisest man to sing
at the top of his lungs,
laugh like a fool — it drives the
man to dancing… it even
tempts him to blurt out stories
better never told.”
― Homer, The Odyssey
The key lies in finding the delicate balance, the moderate rhythm that allows the heart to enjoy the dance without succumbing to the dangers of excessive drinking.
Education and awareness are our guides.
Thank you for reading “Spirits and Heart Health.”
