Does alcohol help the heart?

Does drinking a glass of wine each day really help your heart? The answer may depend on who you ask.

Some researchers have suggested that wine has health benefits in moderation, especially red wine, and that its flavonoids and other antioxidants can potentially reduce heart disease risk. However, no research has proven a link between drinking alcohol and better heart health, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), which notes these important points:

• Drinking too much alcohol can raise the levels of some fats in the blood, known as triglycerides. A high triglyceride level combined with high LDL (bad) cholesterol or low HDL (good) cholesterol has been associated with fatty buildup in the artery walls, which can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Excessive drinking can lead to high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy (chronic disease of the heart muscle), cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm), and even death.
• Binge drinking—having five or more drinks in two hours for men or four or more drinks for women—may increase the risk for atrial fibrillation (AFib) that can lead to blood clots, stroke, and heart failure (see article on front page).

The Harvard Medical School states that no type of alcohol, including wine, “is a friend to your heart,” citing flaws in past research that concluded benefits do exist.

The AHA does not recommend drinking wine or any other form of alcohol to gain potential health benefits. Instead, it advises taking steps to lower cholesterol, control high blood pressure and manage weight through physical activity, avoiding tobacco, and following a healthy diet.

John Hopkins Medicine further states that alcohol can contribute to obesity and its many health problems. Alcohol is a source of excess calories and a cause of weight gain that can be harmful in the long term.

For people with diabetes, excessive drinking can increase blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C. It can lower blood sugar to below-normal levels (hypoglycemia), especially when combined with medications most often used to treat diabetes—particularly insulin and sulfonylureas.

The AHA recommends drinking alcoholic beverages only in moderation, if at all. People should understand the potential health effects and not start drinking for unproven health benefits. Instead, consider foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and grape juice, which contain antioxidants without the alcohol content.