A GLASS OF RED WINE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY?
A study published in the journal Adddiction in December says it might. The research was carried out by the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed (Pozzilli, Italy), in collaboration with the Department of Nutrition of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Boston) and was published in the scientific journal Addiction in December 2018.
The study looked at 21,000 men and women in Italy and found that people who consume alcohol moderately (one glass of wine a day), when mixed with a typically Mediterranean diet, lowered the chance of needing medical treatment compared with heavier drinkers or those that abstain.
Study first author Doctor Simona Costanzo, of the Mediterranean Neurological Institute, said: "We observed that a heavy consumption of alcohol is associated with a higher probability of hospitalization, especially for cancer and alcohol-related diseases. This confirms the harmful effect of excessive alcohol drinking on health. On the other hand, those who drink in moderation present a lower risk of hospitalization for all causes and for cardiovascular diseases compared to lifetime abstainers and former drinkers."
During more than six years that researchers studied the participants, there were 13,000 hospitalizations among the group (some participants were admitted more than once). But overall, those who were complete teetotalers were 11 percent more likely to have wound up in the hospital at least once, compared to than those who did drank moderately.
Previous studies have suggested red wine, in moderation, can be good for your heart, containing compounds that lower heart disease.
Dr. Ken Mukamal, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, added: "We are absolutely not saying that any teetotaller should start drinking to improve his/her health.However, this research reaffirms that the effects of alcohol consumption cannot be reduced to a single catchphrase or punchline. This very comprehensive study clearly shows that we need to consider its health effects based upon both dose and disease".
| 
Reviews by Julia Harding
