Dear Mark: Alcohol
Dear Mark,
I keep hearing news stories about how alcohol is good for you, but I wonder how that figures in with the Primal Blueprint. What’s your take? Can I have that beer when I come home from a long hard day at work and not feel guilty?
It’s true that we tend to hear a lot about a given piece of advice publicized again and again with a slightly different spin from varied studies. While researchers will often pursue subjects that are “timely,” I sense the media (popular and even medical journals to some extent) is more the influence in this case.
I think this is a great question, and I’d even call it a tough one. You see, I don’t really support alcohol consumption, but I condone it (and practice it) as a personal “indulgence” within the context of the Primal Blueprint just as I do dark chocolate or cheese.
I’ve read a lot of the studies supporting moderate alcohol consumption. Overall, the presented evidence seems to suggest that 2 ounces a day might reduce the risk of heart disease in the study populations. But we come up against a wall here. What I would love to see but haven’t are reliable studies that compare those who eat healthy, low carb diets and no alcohol with those who eat healthy, low carb diets and include moderate alcohol.
Alcohol thins the blood, which can be of help to those at risk for atherosclerosis. It can partially compensate for other less healthy practices, as evident in the French Paradox, or it can supplement the benefits of relatively healthy (though not ideal) diets like the Mediterranean diet. However, if you’re already eating a healthy, low-carb diet, exercising, and taking fish oil for the blood-thinning benefits, I’m doubtful alcohol would offer as much health advantage, especially when you take into account the drawbacks of alcohol’s carb content.
There’s also evidence that alcohol consumption can raise the risk of certain cancers, particularly breast cancer in women and cancer of the head, neck and esophagus in both genders. And then there’s the more basic consideration that people react differently to alcohol. Some of you have shared in past comments that even the smallest amount of alcohol leaves you feeling lousy. Which is why (among other reasons) I’m not going to strongly suggest one way or the other how you handle this complicated question. Additionally, I’m not going to recommend daily or weekly consumption figures for men or women to you or my readers. Though these guidelines can be used for rough approximations they vary considerably from country to country and, by their very nature, aren’t personalized. There are legitimate, physiological and genetic differences in people’s capacity for alcohol oxidation. Rest assured that you’re not missing out on something you can’t get from an otherwise healthy diet and lifestyle.
Your question involves having a drink at the end of a “long hard day.” Stress is an often overlooked aspect of health. This is especially troublesome considering how rampant stress and anxiety is in modern society. With regards to alcohol, I wouldn’t be surprised if the stress reducing benefits, imagined or real, of a single drink at the end of the day outweigh the negative health effects. Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that everyone starts drinking up when things get tough. There are many other ways to deal with stress, and using alcohol as a primary coping mechanism can lead to dependence. But, in my opinion, it may not be so bad if moderate and controlled alcohol consumption is part of your way to relax.
All this said, I’d suggest skipping the beer (which is liquid grain after all) or in the very least not making it your regular drink of choice. Red wine, with its polyphenols and resveratrol, offers more health bang for your carb allotment. Though Grok didn’t belly up to the bar at the end of the day and strict adherence to the Primal Blueprint would suggest abstaining, life is short. As with any indulgence, it’s best to see it as an occasional rather than regular part of your diet. And keep in mind that some forms of alcohol have less ill effect than going from, say 150 to 250 grams of carbs in a day.
How many drinks do you have each week and/or what is your take on alcohol. Hit me up with a comment and keep the questions coming. Thanks, everyone!
williac, gdoolittle, Fred Armitage Flickr Photos (CC)
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
I used to drink about 1-2(sometimes 3, eep!) glasses of wine each night, but now to cut back on spending, I am going to try and only drink on the weekends (just 1 glass of wine on sat or sun) Alcohol gets expensive, especially if you like good expensive sipping tequila! I do think moderation is key, and occasionally I fall into the “habit” of it all. I think it will be good for our wallet and health to only enjoy drinks on the weekend.
I ran across some useful info about wine and calories at http://www.wineintro.com/basics/health/ . Generally wine only has between 1-2 grams of carbs per serving in red AND white so carb content is really negligible. There’s no protein or fat so the other factor is calories from alcohol. I didn’t know this before, but there’s a wide disparity in alcohol content between different wines. I’ve seen as low as 7% and up as high as 14.5%. This is important because since there is 7 calories per gram of alcohol, there could be a lot more calories in one wine vs. another. The formula for figuring this out is 1.6x(% alcohol)x(ounces). So if you have a standard vino with 11% alcohol and you drink 6 ounces you get (1.6x11x6)=106 calories. Using the same equation but with a 14.5% wine you will get closer to 140 calories
I have one or two glasses with dinner every night. Sometimes if it’s hot out I’ll have a couple Miller Genuine Draft 64 beers because they’re only 64 calories and 2.6 grams of carbs.
I am preparing for Oktoberfest here in Munich. After not drinking any alcohol for the past 6 months, it’s going to be interesting. I think I can make this exception, drink moderately, enjoy the ambiance, and then return afterwards to my occasional beer.
I drink a sixpack of cooper’s sparkling ale(5.8% alcohol) every second night, or a whole bottle of australian shiraz, i am convinced that combined with a low carb/high fat/high protein diet it is very helpful and in no way see it as ‘wrong’ at all….Im 35, still fight amateur boxing matches once a year and lift crazy heavy weights everyday, i have blood pressure of and 18 year old and minimal bodyfat… i love it, and i wouldn’t stop for anyone or anything
What about that cream stout or porter beers? When blue Moon celebrating I will split a pitcher with a cum but am curious how unreasonable that really is? Is that like drinking one or two loaves of bread? But it really is enjoyable you are lifted I attribute that to the high b vitamin content of the Dark beers.
I DEFINITELY think alcohol is paleo! Traditional cultures all over the world have their own ways of making booze, whether or not they’re agrarian. Plus, humans have a natural taste for ethanol, like in very ripe fruit – it’s got calories and is antimicrobial.
Of course it should be consumed in a healthy way, but I think responsible drinking is helpful, even if your diet is healthy already- most of our ancestors were enjoying alcohol long before processed carbohydrates came on the scene!
meh Good try at justifying a habit best broken.
Alcohol-calorie,physical/mental health costs.
Two words: Beer belly