Are there health benefits to drinking alcohol?

I've recently changed my stance on drinking alcohol...and maybe that will change again in the future. But admitting when new evidence or ways of thinking challenge your own beliefs is important, especially at a time when we’re learning so many new things. And at such a rapid pace.

Look at the gut microbiome. 

Prior to the year 2000, we thought our DNA determined our health and there was very little we could do to change “hereditary conditions”. So much has changed since we cracked the genetic code and everything we were hoping to unlock, well, we didn’t.

Talk about a major “oops” moment in the scientific community! But seriously, that mistake, or rather incorrect hypothesis, made way for the realization that we do have very much control over our health destiny. And we can flip disease genes on and off in many cases, just by changing the food we eat and live our lives. 

Fascinating, right?!

(By the way, if you’re curious, the study of flipping those disease genes on and off is called epigenetics. It’s an emerging field of research and is changing the way we practice holistic wellness. SO exciting!)

Ok, but back to my stance on alcohol…

If you had asked me 6 months ago if I thought alcohol could play any sort of role in a healthy lifestyle, I would have said, “Kale no!” Check out this previous article on alcohol and its effects on the gut microbiome.

But that’s changed. A bit.

Believe me, it's not what you think. Keep reading.

There's indeed no "healthy" amount of alcohol to drink. Alcohol isn't a "health food" no matter how you look at it.

It's bad for your gut and most of your other organs.

It probably shouldn't be included in a fat loss plan.

And it can make many situations worse–social situations or health situations.

It's not kale, hello. 🤣

It's also true that drinking alcohol can increase your risk for serious diseases such as cancer, kidney disease, heart disease, diabetes, and many other chronic diseases and even death.

You know what else also increases your risk for diseases, including cancer?

Loneliness.

Depression.

Isolation.

Lack of belonging.

There are no studies that I'm aware of measuring those things. Something like that would be very difficult to measure. 

It's impossible to know if going out for a drink with friends is doing more harm than good, when done within reason, of course.

For one person, simply being invited out with friends might be the confidence boost she needs to feel like her life matters.

For another person, taking a "sip and paint" class might be what she needs to help lift the depression.

And for someone else, having a drink at a bar might be the only time she gets to spend with her dad.

No, alcohol shouldn't be used as a crutch and there are certainly limits. Again, it's not kale...🤣

But sometimes, a drink can help improve your health, just not in the way most people want to believe. 

Yes, there are some “health” experts who promote drinking red wine because it contains the powerful polyphenol resveratrol. Resveratrol is protective against many diseases and can help with more graceful aging. In fact, remember the term epigenetics from earlier? Yep, resveratrol has epigenetic effects! Meaning it can help turn disease genes on and off.

However, drinking red wine to get health protection is a lot like drinking a dirty martini to get the healthy fat from the olive. It’s better to just eat the olive. It’s better to just eat the grapes.

Or mulberries. Or peanuts. Yep, peanuts are high in resveratrol. Weird, right?!

So let’s all agree that we’re not drinking alcohol to help fight disease. Can we please agree on that point?

And please don’t use this as an excuse to go out and start shot-gunning cans of Pabst. Yikes. 

And there are plenty of situations where alcohol should be totally avoided, such as if you’re at high risk for cancer or another chronic disease, have been diagnosed with candida or other microbial overgrowths, or have become dependent on it, just to name a few. It’s definitely not going to make a health condition better! 

But do know that there may be a world where the occasional drink of alcohol does more good than harm. Yes, I do realize this might ruffle some feathers in the holistic health community.

But I'm not the health coach who is going to take away the things you love.

Curious about how I can create a customized health plan based on your exact situation, goals, and preferences (aka your REAL life)? Schedule a FREE consultation and I’ll show you how it could work for you.