The Effect of Small Amounts of Wine or Other Alcohol Drinks on Human Health and Longevity

Czech version

Authors: Z. Kadaňka
Authors‘ workplace: Neurologická klinika LF MU a FN Brno
Published in: Cesk Slov Neurol N 2012; 75/108(5): 536-544
Category: Minimonography

Overview

Over the past 20 years, articles in press, and even scientific literature, have repeatedly been suggesting that regular consumption of small amounts of alcohol, in particular red wine, may have positive effects on human health. Much of the matter fuelling an explosion of such information, is derived from what has become known as the “French paradox”. This is based on the observation that French population has relatively low incidence of coronary heart disease, despite having a diet relatively rich in saturated fats. One hypothesis presented to explain this anomaly postulates that the answer may lie in the regular intake of wine with meals that is such an integral part of life in France: a very attractive explanation. The idea is supported by many epidemiological studies showing that mild alcohol consumption improves general mortality, especially in terms of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Thus it appears that abstinence from alcohol is worse than mild consumption. Apart from alcohol, wine contains a number of compounds, including polyphenols, that could be responsible for this cardioprotective effect through their antioxidant properties. Polyphenol resveratrol has been the most frequent subject of study in experimental research, using yeasts, drosophila, mice and rats, and it usually has positive effects on a number of parameters (mortality, longevity, cardioprotection, atherosclerosis). However, this effect has only been present at doses that are unthinkable to achieve in humans. Procyanidins are also polyphenols that may be found in wine, in larger amounts than resveratrol, and may potentially be responsible for cardioprotection. However, some fruits – apples, cranberries etc. also contain procyanidins in similar amounts. The author addresses the means and methods of reviewing the information in order to increase understanding of this topic and attempts to formulate practical recommendations based on sound evidence.

Key words:
alcohol consumption – wine – resveratrol – health – length of life

Sources

1. Renaud S, de Lorgeril M. Wine, alcohol, platelets, and the French paradox for coronary heart disease. Lancet 1992; 339(8808): 1523–1526.

2. Costanzo S, Di Castelnuovo A, Donati MB, Iacoviello L, de Gaetano G. Wine, beer or spirit drinking in relation to fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events: a meta-analysis. Eur J Epidemiol 2011; 26(11): 883–850.

3. de Gaetano G, Di Castelnuovo A, Rotondo S, Iacoviello L, Donati MB. A meta-analysis of studies on wine and beer and cardiovascular disease. Pathophysiol Haemost Thromb 2002; 32(5–6): 353–355.

4. Sacco RL, Elkind M, Boden-Albala B, Lin IF, Kargman DE, Hauser WA et al. The protective effects of moderate alcohol consumption on ischemic stroke. JAMA 1999; 281(1): 53–60.

5. Mukamal KJ, Ascherio A, Mittleman MA, Conigrave KM, Camargo CA jr, Kawachi I et al. Alcohol and risk for ischemic stroke in men: the role of drinking patterns and usual beverage. Ann Intern Med 2005; 142(1):11–19.

6. Camargo CA jr. Moderate alcohol consumption and stroke. Stroke 1989; 20(12): 1611–1626.

7. Ritz MF, Curin Y. Mendelowitsch A, Andriantsitohaina R. Acute treatment with red wine polyphenols protects from ischemia-induced excitotoxicity, energy failure and oxidative stress in rats. Brain Res 2008; 1239: 336–334.

8. Renaud SC,Gueguen R,Siest G, Salamon R. Wine, beer, and mortality in middle-aged men from eastern France. Arch Intern Med 1999; 159(6):12865–12870.

9. Rosenbloom JI, Mukamal KJ, Frost LE, Mittleman MA. Alcohol consumption patterns, beverage type, and long-term mortality among women survivors of acute myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol 2012; 109(2): 147–152.

10. Cameli M, Ballo P, Garzia A, Lisi M, Bocelli A, Mondillo S. Acute effects of low dose of ethanol on left and right ventricular function in young healthy subjects. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2011; 35(10): 1860–1865.

11. Thun MJ, Peto R, Lopez AD,Monaco JH, Henley SJ, Heath CW jr et al. Alcohol consumption and mortality among middle-aged and elderly U.S. adults. N Engl J Med 1997; 337(24): 1705–1714.

12. Fuchs CS, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Giovannucci EL,Manson JE, Kawachi I et al. Alcohol consumption and mortality among women. N Engl J Med 1995; 332(19): 1245–1250.

13. Zhang SH, Reddick RL, Avdievich E, Surles LK, Jones RG, Reynolds JB et al. Paradoxical enhancement of atherosclerosis by probucol treatment in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. J Clin Invest 1997; 99(12): 2858–2866.

14. Walldius G, Erikson U, Olsson AG, Bergstrand L, Hadell K, Johansson J et al. The effect of probucol on femoral atherosclerosis: the Probucol Quantitative Regression Swedish Trial (PQRST). Am J Cardiol 1994; 74(9): 875–883.

15. Ozbudak O, Ozbudak IH, Turkay C, Sahin N, Ozdem S, Turkay M et al. Effect of a cholesterol rich diet, recurrent infection and possible treatment modalities on the pulmonary vascular system: an experimental study. West Indian Med J 2011; 60(2): 132–136.

16. Wilson T, Knight TJ, Beitz DC, Lewis DS, Engen RL. Resveratrol promotes atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Life Sci 1996; 59(1): PL15–PL21.

17. Hayek T, Fuhrman B, Vaya J, Rosenblat M, Belinky P, Coleman R et al. Reduced progression of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice following consumption of red wine, or its polyphenols quercetin or catechin, is associated with reduced susceptibility of LDL to oxidation and aggregation. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 1997; 17(11): 2744–2752.

18. Emeson EE, Manaves V, Singer T, Tabesh M. Chronic alcohol feeding inhibits atherogenesis in C57BL/6 hyperlipidemic mice. Am J Pathol 1995; 147(6): 1749–1758.

19. Dai J, Miller BA, Lin RC. Alcohol feeding impedes early atherosclerosis in low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice: factors in addition to high-density lipoprotein-apolipoprotein A1 are involved. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1997; 21(1): 11–18.

20. Linn S, Carroll M, Johnson C, Fulwood R, Kalsbeek W, Briefel R. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and alcohol consumption in US white and black adults: data from NHANES II. Am J Public Health 1993; 83(6): 811–816.

21. Grønbae M, Becker U, Johansen D, Gottschau A, Schnohr P, Hein HO et al. Type of alcohol consumed and mortality from all causes, coronary heart disease, and cancer. Ann Intern Med 2000; 133(6): 411–419.

22. Pearson TA. Alcohol and heart disease. Circulation 1996; 94(11): 3023–3025.

23. Feinman L, Lieber CS. Ethanol and lipid metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr 1999; 70(5): 791–792.

24. Ginsberg H, Olefsky J, Farquhar JW, Reaven GM. Moderate ethanol ingestion and plasma triglyceride levels: a study in normal and hypertriglyceridemic persons. Ann Intern Med 1974; 80(2): 143–149.

25. Couzin J. Women’s health. Study yields murky signals on low-fat diets and disease. Science 2006; 311(5762): 755.

26. Hooper L, Summerbell CD, Higgins JP, Thompson RL, Clements G, Capps N et al. Reduced or modified dietary fat for prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochran Database Syst Rev 2001; 3: CD002137.

27. Witteman JC, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Kok FJ, Sacks FM et al. Relation of moderate alcohol consumption and risk of systemic hypertension in women. Am J Cardiol 1990; 65(9): 633–637.

28. Moore RD, Levine DM, Southard J, Entwisle G, Shapiro S. Alcohol consumption and blood pressure in the 1982 Maryland Hypertension Survey. Am J Hypertens 1990; 3(1): 1–7.

29. Fuchs FD, Chambless LE, Whelton PK, Nieto FJ, Heiss G Alcohol consumption and the incidence of hypertension: The atherosclerosis risk in communities study. Hypertension 2001; 37(5): 1242–1250.

30. Chen L, Davey Smith G, Harbord RM, Lewis SJ. Alcohol intake and blood pressure: A systematic review implementing a mendelian randomization approach. Plos Medicine 2008; 5(3): e52.

31. Khandelwal AR, Hebert VY, Dugas TR. Essential role of ER-alpha-dependent NO production in resveratrol-mediated inhibition of restenosis. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2010; 299(5): H1451–1458.

32. Yang Y, Wang X, Zhang L, An H, Zao Z. Inhibitory effects of resveratrol on platelet activation induced by thromboxane A(2) receptor agonist in human platelets. Am J Chin Med 2011; 39(1) 145–159.

33. Gurusamy N, Ray D, Lekli I, Das DK. Red wine antioxidant resveratrol-modified cardial stem cells regenerate infarcted myocardium. J Cell Mol Med 2010; 14(9): 2235–2239.

34. Dudley JI, Lekli I, Mukheriee S, Das M, Bertelli AA, Das DK. Does white wine qualify for French paradox? Comparison of the cardioprotective effects of red and white wines and their constituents: Resveratrol, tyrosol, and hydroxytyrosol. J Agric Food Chem 2008; 56(20): 9362–9373.

35. Hammerstone JF, Lazarus SA, Schmitz HH. Procyanidin content and variation in some consumed foods. J Nutr 2000; 130 (8S Suppl): 2086S–2092S.

36. Cushnie TPT, Lamb AJ. Antimicrobial activity of flavonoids. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2005; 26 (5): 343–356.

37. de Sousa RR, Queiroz KC, Souza AC, Gurgueira SA, Augusto AC, Miranda MA et al. Phosphoprotein levels, MAPK activities and NF kappa B expression are affected by fisetin. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2007: 22(4): 439–444.

38. Giovanelli L, Pitozzi V, Luceri C, Gianini L, Toti S, Salvini S et al. Effects of de-alcoholised wines with different polyphenol content on DNA oxidative damage, gene expression of peripheral lymphocytes, and haemorheology: an intervention study in post-menopausal women. Eur J Nutr 2011; 50(1):19–29.

39. Bhat KP, Lantvit D, Christov K, Mehta RG, Moon RC, Pezzuto JM. Estrogenic and antiestrogenic properties of resveratrol in mammary tumor models. Cancer Res 2001; 61(20): 7456–7463.

40. Lotito SB, Frei B. Consumption of flavonoid-rich foods and increased plasma antioxidant capacity in humans: cause, consequence, or epiphenomenon? Free Radic Biol Med 2006; 41(12): 1727–1746.

41. Neves DR, Tomada IM, Assuncao MM, Marques FA, Almeida HM, Andrade JP. Effects of chronic red wine consumption on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, angiopoietin 1, angiopoietin 2, and its receptors in rat erectile tissue. J Food Sci 2001; 75(3): H79–H86.

42. Raval AP, Lin HW, Dave KR,Defazio RA, Della Morte D, Kim EJ et al. Resveratrol and ischemic preconditioning in the brain. Curr Med Chem 2008; 15(15): 1545–1551.

43. Sacco RL, Gan R, Boden-Albala B, Lin IF, Kargman DE, Hauser WA et al. Leisure-time physical activity and ischemic stroke risk: The Nothern Manhattan Stroke Study. Stroke 1998; 29(2): 380–387.

44. Gonzáles RA. Alcohol: friend or foe? MEDICC Rev 2011; 13(4): 50–51.

45. Saremi A, Arora R. The cardiovascular implications of alcohol and red wine. Am J Ther 2008; 15(32): 265–277.