Drinking Myths
Myth 1: Red wine is the only healthy drink.
We’ve been reaching for red ever since a small 1994 Danish study found that red wine may counter heart disease because it contains a certain antioxidant known as resveratrol. While this chemical may play a role, its true impact on the heart is still far from proven, says Eric Rimm, D.Sc, associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard’s School of Public Health in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
What does make red wine without-a-doubt healthy is ethanol, the type of alcohol found not only in wines of all colors but also in beer and spirits, says Rimm, who conducted the largest-ever review of alcohol studies last year. His research shows that ethanol raises high-density lipoprotein (”good” cholesterol) and helps reduce blood clotting, both of which cut the risk of heart disease.
Myth 2: Women shouldn’t have more than one drink a day.
No surprise that this rule is so widely known—after all, it’s what the U.S. government recommends. Problem is, the federal guidelines don’t exactly reflect current research, says Eileen Kennedy, D.Sc, deputy undersecretary for research, education and economics for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. “They definitely err on the side of caution,” she says.
The best advice? Customize your drinking. Alcohol may increase breast cancer risk, so “if you have a family history of the disease, limit your intake to less than a drink a day,” says Rimm. If you have no family history of cancer but you do have a family history of heart disease, the heart benefits of even two drinks a day may outweigh any cancer risk.
Myth 3: Hangovers are hell-but harmless.
How dangerous could a headache and nausea really be, right? Actually, hangover sufferers are likely to experience loss of dexterity, poor judgment and impaired vision and spatial skills long after alcohol has left their bloodstream, according to an analysis of about 50 studies in the Annals of Internal Medicine. These aftereffects can severely interfere with your safety, especially if you’re driving.
Myth 4: To stay sober, limit drinks to one an hour.
There are just too many factors at work for this rule to be universal, says Herb Simpson, president of the Traffic Injury Research Foundation in Ottawa, Canada. Your blood alcohol content is affected by myriad variables, including your height and weight, the strength of the drink, how much you’ve eaten, even how much water you’re retaining. The bottom line? If staying sober is the goal, go for a soda.
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