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1995-07-16
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APPENDIX A
A SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENT
FOR ABSTINENCE
Some studies seem to indicate that people who drink one to
two ounces of alcohol live longer than those who do not. Based
on these studies, some physicians recommend moderate drinking.
Dean Ornish, MD, in his book, DR. DEAN ORNISH'S PROGRAM FOR
REVERSING HEART DISEASE allows up to two ounces of alcohol per
day, but recommends abstinence based on seven arguments. He
explains:
First, subsequent, more careful analyses of the studies
cited above revealed that many of the people who didn't
drink at all chose not to drink because a number of them
were in ill health or were recovering alcoholics. They did
not die sooner due to an "alcoholic deficiency"; they died
sooner because they were sicker to begin with.
Second, one reason why people who drink "moderately"
may live longer is that they often have more social support
than others who do not drink. In our culture, "Happy Hour"
is a socially acceptable way to take a break from work and
spend time relaxing with friends or spouses. I suspect that
the same benefits would result from having social support in
activities not centered around alcohol.
Third, alcohol has a direct, toxic effect on the muscle
of the heart. Over time, this can cause the heart to beat
less effectively, a condition known as an alcohol
cardiomyopathy. And alcohol is toxic to a number of other
organ systems, especially your liver. Heavy drinking is
linked to cirrhosis, pancreatitis, fetal alcohol syndrome,
hypertension, cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmias, and
malnutrition. Drinking less than one drink per day has been
found to double the risk of hemorrhagic stroke when compared
with not drinking at all. A study of 87,526 female nurses
found that women who consumed three to nine drinks per week
had 3.7 times the risk of bleeding into their brains as
nondrinkers.
Fourth, alcohol is a major factor in most accidents at
work and at home. Somewhere between 50 and 80 percent of
all fatal traffic accidents are alcohol related.
Fifth, although alcohol does raise your HDL ("good
cholesterol"), this is only half the story. There are two
types of HDL: HDL2 and HDL3. HDL2 helps to protect against
coronary heart disease, but HDL3 does not . Alcohol raises
HDL3.
Sixth, alcohol provides a lot of extra calories but no
nutrition.
Seventh, a study of 7,188 women twenty-five to seventy-
four years of age found that moderate alcohol consumption
was associated with 50 to 100 percent elevation in the
risk of breast cancer. [Dean Ornish, M.D., DR. DEAN
ORNISH'S PROGRAM FOR REVERSING HEART DISEASE (New York:
Random House, 1990), pp. 277-278].
END