4. Wine drinkers separated from beer and spirit drinkers

In the chain of research just described wine was grouped with beer and spirits as a type of alcohol. This was because most scientists assumed that the ethanol in alcohol was the primary ingredient that reduced heart disease. However there had been a new line of research that had been examining the health benefits of wine consumption as separate from beer and spirits. This line of research was inspired by the French Paradox.

French Paradox: despite fat French have less heart disease than Americans

The paradox has to do with the finding that the French from Toulouse have a 57% lower rate of heart disease than do the Americans from Stanford although they consumed a high fat diet. Indeed the French consume the same amount of saturated fats as do Americans, have higher levels of the bad cholesterol in their blood, but have a significantly lower level of heart disease.

1991 Renaud: ‘Wine counteracts the negative impact of saturated fats.’

In 1991 Renaud, one of the scientists who initiated these studies, was interviewed upon American public television. When asked why the French weren’t dying of heart disease as frequently as Americans although they ate a diet high in saturated fats, Renaud said that it had to do with drinking habits. He said that French consumed wine with meals while Americans didn’t. On TV he stated that no other drug has proved as effective against heart disease as the moderate intake of wine. His studies showed that 2 to 3 glasses of wine per day reduced Heart disease by 40%. Renaud claimed in effect that ‘Wine counteracts the negative impact of saturated fats.’

America demands more research

The American government with their scientists demanded studies to back up his claim. The American Medical Association was not going to allow its hundreds of expensive heart disease medicines to be replaced without some serious documentation.

1995: Danish wine drinkers healthier than the rest

It was forthcoming. In 1995 Groenbaek, a Danish researcher, inspired by Renaud’s discoveries, came out with the results of an important study. He looked at data from 14,000 men and women from Copenhagen. Wine got a great report card, while Spirits didn’t fare so well.

Wine good for heart, spirits bad

Here are some of Groenbaek’s specific findings. Those drinking 3 to 5 glasses of Wine per day had 60% less Heart disease than those who didn’t drink any alcohol. To support this finding it was also found that wine consumption in Denmark had risen 30% over a 20-year span. In that same time period heart disease had fallen by the same amount.

What about Spirits? Not good. Those who drank one to two drinks of Spirits had 16% more heart disease than those who didn’t drink. Those who drank 3->5 drinks of Spirits had 35% more Heart disease than those who don’t drink. These studies clearly indicated that wine was good for the health of your heart while spirits were bad for it. It was obvious that wine and spirits were different in their effect upon health although they both contained alcohol. Remember that scientists had previously assumed alcohol to be the active ingredient in fighting heart disease.

Wine good for overall health, Beer neutral, Spirits bad

In even more surprising studies it was found that wine drinkers had less disease overall than non-drinkers. Also non-drinkers had less disease overall than whiskey drinkers. Those who drank 1->2 glasses of Wine per day had 40% less Death from all causes than non-drinkers. Those drinking 3->5 glasses of Wine had 50% less Death from all causes than those who didn’t. Beer was about the same as not-drinking, while those drinking 3->5 drinks a day increased their chance of dying from all causes by 30%.

Different populations: Americans drink whiskey; French drink wine

These studies illustrate why the American studies would reveal mostly negative effects to alcohol. In America whiskey and beer are the drinks of choice, as we shall see, while wine is minor. So in America the study of alcohol consumption is the study of hard alcohol and beer, while in France and Italy the study of alcohol consumption is the study of wine. Therefore their results will be radically different, because these studies have shown that in general wine is good for health and spirits are bad for health.

1999: British wine drinkers have 20% less disease than the rest

As confirmation of the conclusions of these Danish studies, in 1999 a study came out of Britain based upon 7000 men over a period of 17 years. Wine drinkers had 30% less heart disease, and 20% less disease over all than those who drank beer and spirits. Although wine, beer and spirits all contained alcohol their health benefits were very different. Again wine was found to be healthy, while spirits were unhealthy. Obviously the effects of liquor and wine on health need to be studied separately.

1999: French wine drinkers die of all disease at 30% less than the rest

Then in 1999 another study came out of France, supporting the same conclusions. It was based around 36,000 men in Eastern France. As expected those who drank wine had 40% to 50% less heart disease than those who drank nothing. But surprisingly those who drank one to three glasses of wine per day had 20-22% less Cancer than those who drank other forms of alcohol or none at all. Most surprising however was the finding that those who drank two to five glasses of wine per day died of„˛U˛å˛(ˇÎÇÍˆw…!ï\õS`üÔ£«I@„wg˝∂w´zøÍ˛È¸˚à˘Ø¯˘û˙s¸å˛∆m@œ@pˇó˝¿˚\˙¡˘•˘ª˘=˙.˚Á˚@¸E¸ß˚~˙6˘R¯∆˜Æ˜õ¯Ä˙◊¸âˇ∑ˆü¢ ø≠º Ù§•-(†ˇªˇ0^˝ˇ˙˛É˝‡˚:˙Ø¯o˜5˜*¯®˘â˚¸˝Z6çì§ádCˇá˛ì˛ˇñˇrt,yqÎ˙ 5ˇÉ˛`˛Jˇ&\¿Sú uΩ | Ñ%T ¶ùbu∫b &4|•ˇî¸∑˘ö˜’ˆR˜Å¯R˙ü¸¬˛q¢≈¯Èˇô˛1˝'¸Œ˚⁄˚ˇ˚g¸ˆ¸`˝â˝a˝«¸ÿ˚‹˙⁄˘·¯å¯P˘π˙m¸s˛ûŸ∫≈ÿ'˚}ÿqˇÉ˛˛√˝˛…˛XˇRˇ˘˛8˛˘¸ò˚d˙ï˘ö˘Ø˙É¸§˛∞ßE/Pè-æI–˛u˝è¸i¸ö¸Û¸≠˝É˛‹˛≥˛/˛7˝Ú˚«˙Õ˘˘+˘a˙¸'˛’«kw© ‡ L 6ø"ƒ–‹j)µ–g{ˇç˝¥˚˙U˘˜˘ã˚Z˝hˇ§¨<BóS—I§G3Âˇ,ˇ~˛´˝]¸È˙π˘¡¯N¯˘”˙‰¸]ˇ 1ÿk ˙π;,Ï„¬@L–ö˛Ó˚4˘—ˆı_ÙÿÙˆû˜u˘Ñ˚`˝¢˛ˇ∞˛¡˝û¸Ü˚Ç˙œ˘ß˘˙»˙ ¸Æ˝Cˇo#*bˇg˝ò˚[˙"˙‡˙¸’˝4Æ¥~._}JˆˇÌˇI”Òg\∆˛Í¸˚w˘ú¯—¯˘{˚M˝tˇñ(*ÆóN∆Êˇãmq \ç.ÀâˇÖ˛J˛^ˇ,n·9Ø# j± ~h4‹ˇ*ˇ‘˛ˇ»ˇ.ºˇ“˛I˝}˚†˘,¯s˜ñ˜ã¯‡˘W˚¸¸ê˛Ùˇﬁ≠ﬂˇœ˛b˝’˚«˙˙∞˘€˘a˙˝˙v˚å˚K˚•˙à˘a¯`˜≤ˆ˙ˆ5¯∫˘ó˚(˛kq+ëÊ7—Ô@¨YÆü"˛”˚È˘\¯≥˜c¯±˘$˚ˆ¸ˇ¥—vOâáEˇ≤˝O¸à˚J˚r˚ ¸˝ ˛˜˛mˇJˇq˛8˝¸˚ñ˙˙[¸ë˛1¸éó ñ ? c ;´Ù’Ä£Ûy*¯ia∂ZˇT˛˙˝G˛⁄˛zˇ`l/£¨¸≤ˇL˛ﬂ¸æ˚W˚q˚ ˚ñ¸¥˝£˛kˇ…ˇDˇ˛∏¸\˚,˙›˘÷˙ü¸∫˛R ZÀqC?êóè≥ˇ[˛é˝'˝,˝à˝◊˝—˝c˝]¸¿˙Ÿ¯ ˜üı‘Ùı5ˆ˚˜˙◊¸Áˇg<^í∆FW*ˇG˝‘˚´˙D˙¥˙˚¸o¸é¸¸1˚,˙˘h¯Ü¯ß˘o˚è˝6ê\Ö©Û·í˚z?(ï™@Õ&ÂˇV˛¯¸Û˚x˚Û˚E˝ˇ(Ir'3≈#£ûQÑ"∂}g¨Äˇ˝ƒ˙*˘¿¯à˘Û˙º¸ˇ†∆« }o.‹ƒ¶dxíI¡ˇ˛˛—˝G¸¶˙Ù¯j˜πˆ˜“˜À¯ ˙Ô˚ª˝5ˇFyœˇ’˛†˝<¸˚q˙˙˙û˙ê˚y¸Ÿ¸Â¸∂¸¸˚~˙q˙˚˙\¸£˛Dß¯#ë ⁄ ﬂv≈%Œ≥Ô´«(âq‡‰ˇl˛©¸’˙˘∞˜R˜‰˜˘ì˙†¸¸˛#øÆøÌÖ ˇ∞˝‡¸Î¸á˝ä˛ ˇªKz,GÂ˛Å˝¢¸Ä¸^˝(ˇU¡p˜ óÄ â ÂÍ© 6 Œñö’3{pE˛ˇ+˛Î˚·˘0¯$˜;˜,¯¶˘è˚¬˝!=¢.g!sˇ˛∆˝Á˝Y˛Cˇ3ì_Ãˇ¨˛’¸™˙‘¯ú˜N˜¯°˘ì˚«˝T¬ázëˆ¯ºMÛˇˇ’˛Û˛ëˇ¶òYÍˇ‡¸’˙F˘å¯∞¯X˘ê˙Y¸4˛ºˇﬂa"jfˇ"˛ÿ¸Ï˚ï˚Ω˚e¸s˝p˛ˇ_ˇˇS˛D˝,¸#˚¬˙Ç˚˚¸ø˛◊?∫ÿC 6 ä K HßÉßï¢Z«ü˜'ˇƒ˝1˝√˝ˇΩ¡ Jîıëm“_ˇj˝¸d˚X˚¡˚z¸=˝´˝¥˝Y˝ê¸k˚'˙7˘ı¯∞˘*˚Â¸Ó˛6i`—s|ı¡1£>?íˇ)ˇˇ+ˇ ˇß˛ª˝p¸Œ˙˘h˜ ˆ»ıëˆÆ˜⁄¯û˙‹¸Ê˛<Îæ4õˇÓ˛è˛¿˛\ˇ±Z–v/ˇó˝ˆ˚â˙ó˘}˘S˙Ú˚ˆ˝E‘›ˇB‡±f0úsë∞¨ÓJˇX˝Å˚”˘ò¯[¯0˘∏˙≥¸ ˇqoÎ¿∑Âö#“‘ˇVˇuˇÍˇ¡«á˜I4~¢ÔN#¬æÀCmC¥œ-√v3hÔ¿±>SÈ˛˝,˚ò˘ƒ¯˚¯˘˘v˚j˝£ˇñÿâë§˘ ˇh˝‚˚º˙+˙#˙à˙=˚ ¸ö¸Ã¸`¸I˚˙æ¯ê˜˜†˜.˘,˚ä˝Ñ ¡! æ y$« ˆﬁ3ı:6#™ˇı˛˛è¸Œ˙>˘¯w˜æ˜◊¯m˙`¸é˛µcg±Mi5¸ˇÚ˛T˛;˛k˛ﬂ˛zˇ Çt'úˇ≤˛º˝"˝˝˛˚ˇ6Çñ ≠ — ÿ ˚µ? …◊wy…4öíßTQ˛ã˚m˘N¯u¯u˘Ø˙.¸˛∞ˇ‘ÔX1–˛å˝v¸Ô˚⁄˚›˚V¸˝ç˝Ø˝Ø˝