~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~
Writing and alcohol seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly,
but recent research shows that writers may want to think twice about that second glass of wine.
I know pretty much anytime I go to a writing event—conference, gathering, writer’s group, etc.—there’s alcohol involved. Many writers also talk about alcohol as being helpful to them—for relieving stress, managing rejections and other disappointments, and getting to sleep at night. (Note: alcohol may help you get to sleep, but it messes with your deep REM sleep later, so it’s not a good bedtime snack.)
The question is, regardless of how you may feel about alcohol, is it really good for you?
Studies Question Alcohol’s Benefits
Many studies have shown that red wine, in particular, may have some benefits when it comes to reducing risk of heart disease, but recent studies have begun to question those findings.
A recent 2018 international review of multiple studies involving nearly 600,000 people in 19 high-income countries, found no overall health benefits from moderate drinking.
The data also caused researchers to question the current two-servings per day recommended limit for men—mainly because more than one serving was found to lower life expectancy. (The recommended daily intake level for women is one drink per day, because women metabolize alcohol differently.)
“This research,” writes Joel Achenbach in the Washington Post, “recalibrates the concept of moderate drinking and gives a more complicated, nuanced interpretation of how alcohol affects cardiovascular health for better or worse. That interpretation is not likely to be welcomed by the alcohol industry, which has embraced the idea, backed by the medical establishment, that moderate drinking may be good for you by lowering the risk of a heart attack.”
Study co-author Dr. Dan Blazer said, “This study has shown that drinking alcohol at levels which were believed to be safe is actually linked with lower life expectancy and several adverse health outcomes.”
In another recent study, researchers found that the more alcohol people drink, the more their cells appear to age. The results were shared at the 40th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism. Researchers found that alcohol patients had shorter “telomere” lengths.
Telomeres are stretches of DNA along the ends of chromosomes that protect genetic data. They are considered markers of aging, and in this study, were found to be more prevalent in heavy drinkers. Shorter telomeres put people at a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia.
What does this mean for writers? So far, we have no reason not to enjoy the occasional cocktail or evening glass of wine, but we may want to think twice before drinking a second or third glass, except for on rare celebratory occasions.
Do you drink more than one glass of alcohol a day?
Source
Angela M. Wood, et al., “Risk thresholds for alcohol consumption: combined analysis of individual-participant data for 599 912 current drinkers in 83 prospective studies,” The Lancet, April 14, 2018, 391(10129), p1513–1523.
Joel Achenbach, “‘Moderate’ drinking guidelines are too loose, study says,” The Washington Post, April 12, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/moderate-drinking-guidelines-are-too-loose-study-says/2018/04/12/da73d89c-3e64-11e8-974f-aacd97698cef_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.4b3eff709f9e.
Stephanie Mencimer, “A Huge New Study Just Showed Alcohol is Worse for You Than You Thought,” Mother Jones, April 13, 2018, https://www.motherjones.com/food/2018/04/a-huge-new-study-just-showed-alcohol-is-worse-for-you-than-you-thought/.