Drinking Alcohol and Cholesterol Levels
The subject of alcohol and cholesterol levels has been widely studied. There is now medical agreement that drinking in moderation benefits cholesterol levels.
Overview
I. Cholesterol
II. Plaque
III. Research
IV. Resources
But many people don’t know the benefits of moderate drinking on cholesterol levels. Or they think the benefits apply only to red wine. Yet they also apply to white wine, beer, and distilled spirits. Spirits include whiskey, rum, tequila, brandy, gin, etc.
I. Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy type of fat that’s in the human body. Cholesterol consists of HDL (good) and LDL (bad). Total cholesterol is HDL level plus LDL level. A high total cholesterol level is predictive of heart diseases. That includes heart attacks and strokes.
HDL removes cholesterol from cells that have accumulated too much. It then takes it to the liver for disposal.
LDL moves cholesterol from the liver or small intestine to newly formed or growing cells. This is a necessary function. But too much cholesterol in the blood can build up and stick to the walls of the arteries.
II. Plaque
This buildup is plaque. It can cause narrowing and hardening of the arteries. Plaque buildup can break away and cause heart attacks and strokes.
Regular moderate drinking raises the level of good cholesterol. At the same time, it lowers the level of bad cholesterol. The alcoholic beverages can be beer, wine or distilled spirits.
Other improvements to the diet include eating foods low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fat. Then replacing them with those high in other fats. Margarine enriched with plant sterols is also a cholesterol-lowering food.
Regular aerobic exercise also improves cholesterol levels. It also helps lower blood pressure.
If improved diet and exercise fail to reduce cholesterol to acceptable levels, it’s wise to see a doctor.
III. Research on Alcohol and Cholesterol
Researchers made a study using samples of the Japanese population. The total number of male subjects was 2,289. The number of females was 1,940. Thus, the total number was 4,229. Their mean age was 63.3.
Alcohol consumption was positively linked with good HDL but negatively with bad LDL level.
Their conclusion was simple. “Alcohol consumption has a causal role in not only increasing HDL cholesterol levels but also decreasing LDL cholesterol levels.”1
Postmenopausal women were in an eight-week controlled diet experiment. The control group drank no alcohol. One group consumed one drink per day. The third group had two drinks daily. The energy provided by the three diets was the same. After the diet, the researchers tested the HDL and LDL levels. Then they compared the latter groups to those of the control group.
Women who had one drink daily had lower LDL levels. Having two daily drinks did not reduce them much more. One daily drink increased HDL some. But two daily drinks greatly raised HDL levels. In short, one drink a day was good for cholesterol levels. And two drinks per day was much better.2
Other researchers found better HDL levels among nonsmoking men and women who had at least seven drinks weekly. Then the researchers compared them to nonsmoking abstainers.
Drinking in moderation has a positive affect while smoking appears to have a negative affect on HDL levels.3
IV. Resources on Alcohol and Cholesterol
Web Pages
Alcohol and Health: Medical Findings.
Drinking Alcohol and All-Cause Mortality Risk.
Popular Books
Libonati, J. and Schwinden, K. Good Cholesterol, Bad Cholesterol. Bloomington: Authorhouse.
Rinzler, C. and Graf, M. Controlling Cholesterol for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ : Wiley.
Senior, N. and Cuskelly, V. Eat to Beat Cholesterol. Chatswood, NSW: New Holland.
Footnotes
- Tabara, Y., et al. Mendelian randomization analysis in three Japanese populations. A causal role of alcohol consumption. Athero, 2016, 254, 242-248.
- Baer, D., et al. Moderate alcohol consumption lowers risk factors for CVD. Am J Clin Nutr, 2002, 75(3), 593-539.
- Koppes, L., et al. Blood cholesterol levels of 32-year-old consumers are better than of nonconsumers. Pharm Biochem Behav, 2000, 66(1), 163-167.