Now that the word is out (and I’ve been saying this for a long, long time) that wine ain’t so fine for your health after all, I’m somewhat lead to believe those who purported its benefits for so long were owners of vineyards (just being cynical but it does get you wondering….). According to Dr. Chen, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Brigham Women’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a recent study she spearheaded on “Alcohol Consumption and Breast Cancer risk” reported the effects associated with wine consumption (3-6 glasses a week or 5-10 grams per day) as causing an increase in breast cancer risk by as much as 15% in women. The report could not conclude an increase or decreased risk based on consumption of less than three glasses per week. However, the average accumulation was the moving target in Chen’s report. 

The report covered the spectrum of when consumption begins (earlier versus later in life), along with the regularities of consumption (casual versus binge drinking). Lifetime exposure was the real key behind the association of wine and breast cancer. The study, which based its findings from 1976 to present, gathered its data from the Nurse’s Health Study, involving over 121,000 nurses. The questionnaire used covered a gamut of questions (from lifestyle to medications used by the patients), providing feedback every two years.  Instead of focusing on one age group of women, the report gathered its findings over a vast age group (18 and older) covering a long period of time (30 plus years).  In conclusion, the report showed both younger and older women were exposed to the risk of breast cancer at about the same rate. For more on this study watch Dr. Chen’s report on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvGGPsr7xzU&feature=player_embedded). 

The risks were not associated with wine consumption alone. Diet, nutrition and other health conditions played part in how the body processes these risks along with wine consumption over time.

So what’s the real problem? Aren’t grapes antioxidants? And what about all the previous studies purporting its benefits for heart patients? Does this new report automatically negate previous findings on the benefits of wine for coronary health, as well? Lots of questions are now rising about why any form of alcohol would ever be reported to contain health benefits and for good reason. Here’s why:

Having been a wine consumer at one time in my life, I enjoyed the deliciousness of wine and the thought that it had health benefits associated with its consumption. However, alcoholism is a disease that has visited its ill effects upon my family (my father’s health declined from abusing alcohol) and should not be something ever recommended to anyone with that lineage in their past. 

Wine is high in sugar, which in turn feeds and breeds cancer cells. 

The average glass of wine served in a restaurant ranges from 4-5 oz and contains up to 150 calories.  Typical consumption is two glasses (or more) a setting.  For someone watching their waist line that consumption adds up quickly, about 350-400 per setting (based upon the two glass theory). It only takes an additional consumption of 3500 calories to gain one single pound. If you consumed the “one-a-day” wine consumption theory you’d be gaining up to one-half extra pound a week, making your average weight gain a year around 26 pounds. 

Sugar increases cravings for more sugar. Once that vicious cycle kicks in, it’s pretty much downhill from there. Typically, most of us will consume more food than we should to stave off the cravings, creating the merry-go-round of overeating.

 

Benefits

If you want the benefits of the antioxidants found in grapes just go eat them. However, their benefits are somewhat limited (high in potassium but also high in carbohydrates) so eating more than a cup full (about 100 calories or 4 calories a piece) may not be in your best interest. 

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