Is alcohol really part of a balanced diet? Experts say no

Research is dispelling the myth of the glass of wine as an ally for health: alcohol is in fact carcinogenic, causes oxidative stress and interferes with DNA repair

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Alcohol as part of a balanced diet has been scrutinized more and more in recent times through public opinion. Indeed, for decades it was believed that a glass of wine taken daily would be beneficial for heart health. Recent statements by health experts have questioned this long-held assumption.

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has been able to prove that even in moderation, alcohol consumption can be dangerous. Alcohol has been identified as a carcinogen and is associated with an increased risk for a number of cancers, including breast cancer.

Murthy added that alcohol causes some 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 deaths in a year-a more-than-the deaths from car accidents linked to alcohol.

It does not lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease

Dr. Faiz Bhora, professor of surgery and regional chair of surgery at Hackensack Meridian Health, explained how alcohol causes cellular damage. Alcohol causes oxidative stress and interferes with DNA repair, leading to an increased chance of cancerous cell development. Bhora said no amount of alcohol is considered completely safe, and moderate drinking for health benefits has been largely disproven.

These findings, however, also indicated that moderate drinking might reduce the chance of cardiovascular illness. A number of studies on this question have been criticized both for their methodology and for their findings, leading many experts to dispute those supposed benefits. Bhora said that consumption is “extremely embedded” in social and cultural habits but also identified an increased cultural awareness and acceptance of abstinence due to health reasons.

A shift in attitude towards alcohol might be associated with substantial health gain. Bhora suggests reducing consumption of alcohol maybe by restricting alcohol to weekends or eliminating it completely. Most ex-drinkers say that their mental clarity improved and became more productive.

Source: HHS