So, Is Drinking Good or Bad For You?

Scientific opinion on whether you should drink, and how much, has been all over the place. What's going on? The science hasn't changed, so what has?

Prohibition and the years after

Prohibition came about because, to use the simplest terms, the women were fed up with their men coming home drunk. That unique experiment failed because plenty of people weren't going to do without their booze. This episode left the country with a unique view of alcohol consumption; it was fun yet dirty and something you might want to be ashamed of. Most Europeans can't understand our view, to them it's just another beverage that's part of a meal.

For a long time it was socially acceptable to drink, but knowing there's a risk that a small percentage of people become alcoholics. Drunk driving? Not a big deal until decades after the repeal of Prohibition.

There were studies done on the effects of alcohol using different sized study groups and different methods. Yes, Big Alcohol was there sometimes to help get the answers they wanted. Or at least they would broadcast any bit of data that said alcohol might be good.

The French Paradox

In 1991 60 Minutes did a piece on why the French had fewer cardiovascular issues than Americans even with their smoking and fatty diets. They decided the answer was the wine they had every night with dinner. This wasn't said in a vacuum, as there had been studies showing that moderate consumption might be okay. This was all the American public needed to hear. Red wine sales shot up, Merlot especially.

Antioxidants were good for you and red wine contains resveratrol so there was the connection to red wine actually being healthy. Never mind that you would have to drink a lot of wine to get any benefits. 

So, for now, it was actually healthy to have a bit of wine every day. Even the U.S. government health experts were saying that it sounds like a glass of wine with dinner is beneficial. Heck, one researcher said it was dangerous to not drink for a day and suggested doctors prescribe alcohol to their non-drinking patients.

The reversal

The Roaring 90s didn't last too long. Groups like the World Health Organization and World Heart Federation said not one drop! It seems that the scientific community has flipped on alcohol and heath, saying any amount is bad. There is no "good" amount of alcohol. And it's not just the heart, it's cancer too. One research group likened drinking a bottle of wine as the equivalent of smoking five cigarettes when it comes to cancer.

Like I said at the beginning, the science behind your body's reaction to alcohol hasn't changed, but opinion sure has. I certainly don't have the expertise to offer much insight into why The Big Reversal has happened, other than new studies and new data that contradicts the old data.

The risk

There is no reason to panic. People have been drinking for a very long time. I mean, if you're going to give up booze you'd better quit soda, pasta, burgers, and chocolate. Who the hell wants to do that! Just watch the intake of the bad stuff. Life has risks, like every time you get in a car or even any time you walk down a flight of stairs. Just don't do either of those after a few drinks.