How to include alcohol in a heart-healthy diet

While alcohol is primarily drunk for its mood-altering effects, studies suggest there are benefits to moderate drinking. Consider these factors to see if moderate consumption of alcohol could be a healthy choice for you

• Ethyl alcohol (ethanol), the main active ingredient of alcoholic beverages, is made by yeast fermentation of starch or sugar
• Almost any sweet or starchy food — potatoes, grains, honey, grapes and other fruits, even dandelions — can be turned into alcohol
• Unlike most foods, alcohol is not digested; 95 percent of it is absorbed into the bloodstream from the stomach and small intestine within an hour. (The other five percent is eliminated through the kidneys, lungs or skin)
• The liver breaks down, or metabolizes, alcohol; the time this takes depends upon whether the alcohol is ingested with food and upon the person's sex, weight, body type and tolerance level, which increases with time and use
• On average, it takes the liver three to five hours to completely metabolize 30 millilitres (one ounce) of alcohol

• Medical studies have found that drinking small amounts of alcohol, especially red wine, lowers the risk of a heart attack
• One study re­vealed that having two alcoholic drinks a day offers more than double the protection from cardiovascular disease than one drink provides. In the long term, having one drink a day lowers your risk by five percent, but having two cuts it by 10 to 13 percent
• The risk of a heart attack lowers because alcohol reduces the detrimental effects of elevated blood cholesterol while also preventing clot formation
• Studies have shown that levels of bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or LDL) lowered with moderate drinking, as did triglyceride levels. (High levels of either raise the risk of heart ­disease)
• Studies show that moderate drinking may increase the levels of protective (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL) cholesterol. The results are especially significant for women over 50, since a woman's risk of heart disease rises sharply after menopause

The mechanisms by which alcohol protects are still unclear, but some researchers note:

• that because red wines in particular contain certain polyphenols, which can act as antioxidants — resveratrol being the prime example — they can be expected to protect cells from damage that normally occurs when the body uses oxygen
• it's believed that oxidation of LDLs is what causes blood vessels to clog
• the polyphenols in wine may also fortify LDL cholesterol against oxidation

It is not just red wine that's protective:

• The results of several studies have linked the moderate consumption of alcohol with a 32 percent lower risk of heart attack, and a decrease in stroke of 20 to 28 percent
• Results from other studies also suggest that people who drink light to moderate amounts of alcohol daily significantly lower their risk of diabetes

Moderate drinking is defined as one or two drinks containing either 45 millilitres (1 1/2 ounces) of alcohol, 150 millilitres (five ounces) of wine,or 355 millilitres (12 ounces) of beer each. By consuming these amounts on a regular basis you may be doing your body more good than harm, so raise a glass to your health!