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Originally Posted by Angela  Are you nay-sayers completely disdaining the studies that have shown a glass of red wine a day will help you live longer, and reduce your risk of heart disease? |
There may be some benefit, but from reading the Wikipedia article on
Alcohol Consumption and Health it looks like those who don't already drink shouldn't start regardless of any potential benefits. Also, that article says that some amount of alcohol is always naturally present in our bodies because "many of the bacteria in the intestines use alcohol fermentation as a form of respiration." I figure my body will create its own alcohol if it needs it.
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"Given that there is a vast panoply of very effective and under-used cardiovascular drugs and that the beneficial effects of alcohol are small and ill-understood, all those present at the Novartis Foundation meeting concurred that global recommendations such as '1-3 drinks per day are good for you' are not only meaningless but also irresponsible."
"People who choose not to drink alcohol should not be urged to drink to gain any potential health benefit… Non-drinkers can use other strategies, such as regular exercise, giving up smoking, and a healthy diet, to gain protection against heart disease."
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