Alcohol Consumption: An Overview of Benefits and Risks

Abstract

Published health benefits of regular light-to-moderate alcohol consumption include lower myocardial infarction rates, reduced heart failure rates, reduced risk of ischemic stroke, lower risk for dementia, decreased risk of diabetes and reduced risk of osteoporosis. Numerous complimentary biochemical changes have been identified that explain the beneficial effects of moderate alcohol consumption. Heavy alcohol consumption, however, can negatively affect neurologic, cardiac, gastrointestinal, hematologic, immune, psychiatric and musculoskeletal organ systems. Binge drinking is a significant problem even among moderate drinkers and is associated with particularly high social and economic costs. A cautious approach should be emphasized for those individuals who drink even small amounts of alcohol. Physicians can apply the research evidence describing the known risks and benefits of alcohol consumption when counseling their patients regarding alcohol consumption.

Posttraumatic stress disorder, alcohol use, and physical health concerns

“…Moreover, the present study provided a replication of this finding in women, a population in which the relations between drinking patterns and health outcomes has been less consistent (Corrao et al 2000;Gmel et al 2003;Rehm et al 2001). Heavy alcohol consumption has been associated with multiple health problems including coronary heart disease, injuries, various cancers, hypertension, and liver disease Rehm and Monteiro 2005;Room et al 2005;Standridge et al 2004). Given these associations, it is not surprising that general health concerns were elevated in this group, even once we controlled for injuries due to the relationship violence and controlled for the duration of time over which the abuse occurred.…”

Alcohol Use, Mental Health Status and Psychological Well-being 2 Years After the World Trade Center Attacks in New York City

“…For both increase in days drinking and drinks per day, respondents who reported such changes in their alcohol consumption also scored better on the SF12-physical health component and were less likely to be defined as unhealthy. Given that neither binge drinking nor alcohol dependence were statistically associated with physical health, it is possible that increases in alcohol use, even increases as large as the ones investigated, but not unhealthy use, lower stress and the negative physical consequences linked to this psychological state (52,53). An additional possibility is that the negative consequences for health do not manifest themselves for a long period of time.…”

Nutritional hormesis

“…Human health benefits of regular light-to-moderate alcohol consumption vis-à-vis abstinence include decreased risks of dementia, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease and death (Standridge et al, 2004). Both case-control and cohort epidemiological studies have consistently shown that light-to-moderate drinkers are at lower risk of cardiovascular disease and death than nondrinkers, although heavier alcohol consumption can negatively affect the neurologic, gastrointestinal, hematologic, immune, psychiatric and musculoskeletal organ systems.…”

“…Several plausible mechanisms for the cardioprotective effect of light-to-moderate alcohol intake have been suggested (Korthuis, 2004;Standridge et al, 2004). One is its role in increasing plasma HDL cholesterol concentrations and in reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations.…”