How alcohol protects the heart
By DrRich
Two recent studies have shed light on the cardioprotective effects of alcohol.
The first study, reported in the December, 2001 issue of the Journal of Lipid Research, has found that the moderate consumption of alcohol stimulates something called reverse cholesterol transport, or RCT. RCT is the process by which cholesterol is removed from the tissues (such as the walls of the coronary arteries) and is carried to the liver for disposal. RCT, in other words, is good.
The study, conducted in the Netherlands, examined 11 healthy men over a 12-week period. During that period, the men consumed (being civilized, with dinner) either beer, wine, whiskey, or carbonated water. The subjects rotated beverages every 3 weeks, so that each of them ended up consuming each of the 4 beverages for a 3-week period during the trial. Blood tests were measured during each 3-week period that reflected the degree of RCT, and the HDL levels.
The investigators found that HDL cholesterol was elevated by almost 14% with the consumption of alcohol, and that RCT was improved. In other words, not only was HDL increased, but also the HDL was better able to accept cholesterol (thus removing it) from the tissues. These benefits were seen equally with all three types of alcohol used in this study, but not with the carbonated water.
The second study, from the December, 2001 Journal of the American College of Cardiology, reports that moderate alcohol consumption is particularly beneficial to the heart in people with type 2 diabetes. In this study, men with type 2 diabetes who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol had a significantly reduced risk of both heart attacks, and of fatal coronary heart disease. Again, this study showed no difference in benefit according to the type of alcohol consumed.
The authors of this second study have the temerity to suggest that patients with type 2 diabetes might some day receive formal recommendations about including alcohol in their diet, and point to evidence indicating that alcohol consumption may improve insulin sensitivity. (A reduced insulin sensitivity is the primary defect in type 2 diabetes. Indeed, previous reports have suggested that lack of alcohol consumption is a risk factor for developing of this condition.)
DrRich respectfully suggests that any angry e-mails be sent not to him (being merely your humble messenger), but to the authors of these studies.
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