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The Truth We Won’t Admit: Drinking is Healthy

posted by n1 on Thursday August 28 2014, @06:44PM   
from the starting-the-weekend-early dept.

pTamok writes:

An article by Stanton Peele makes the case that there is strong evidence that reasonable levels of drinking are healthy, and if fact beneficial to your health compared with abstinence.

For all levels of drinking, including the highest one, for both men and women, death rates did not reach those for abstainers.

[...] Of course, abstainers may not drink because they are already ill. Thus the meta-analysis relied on studies that eliminated subjects who are abstaining due to illness, or else contrast drinkers with lifetime abstainers.

There isn't a list of references in the article, but this study may be one of the supporting ones: Alcohol Dosing and Total Mortality in Men and Women: An Updated Meta-analysis of 34 Prospective Studies.

There are, no doubt, reasonable criticisms that can be made, but there does seem to be a case for saying that drinking some alcohol is beneficial.

Article also published in: Pacific Standard Magazine

• Re:grape juice, grapes Re:grape juice, grapes (Score: 3, Funny) by DaTrueDave on Thursday August 28 2014, @07:28PM

  by DaTrueDave (3144) on Thursday August 28 2014, @07:28PM (#86883)

  Heh... You reminded me of this scene from a funny old documentary. All the animals have spent the day gorging themselves on warm, slightly fermented Marula fruit, which then ferments a bit more in their bellies. Funny results: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opLbm0Ldl1k [youtube.com]

  And, having been to Africa a few times, I'll attest to the delicious potency of Marula liquor. You can try it without going to Africa by trying a bottle of Amarula next time you're in a liquor store. Creamy, fruity alcoholic greatness. Goes great on ice cream or in shakes.

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• Re:grape juice, grapes (Score: 2) by FatPhil on Thursday August 28 2014, @10:51PM

  by FatPhil (863) <{pc-soylent} {at} {asdf.fi}> on Thursday August 28 2014, @10:51PM (#86957) Homepage

  You've earnt all my moderation points just for that youtube link! I haven't laughed so much for ages. My g/f and I were mostly in agreement over which ones were me, and which ones were her!

  --
  Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves

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• Re:grape juice, grapes (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 29 2014, @09:09AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 29 2014, @09:09AM (#87103)

  C'thulu's at 4:33!

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