There is mounting scientific evidence that moderate consumption of beer or other alcoholic beverages – defined by the government as one to two servings daily – may actually have health benefits over not consuming alcohol at all.
Research conducted on the potential health benefits of beer and other alcoholic beverages was presented in the nation’s capital on October 10 at the Ceres Forum “Beer: To Your Health!”, a conference hosted by the University of Maryland Center for Food, Nutrition and Agriculture Policy (CFNAP).
A new national survey, conducted by CFNAP in conjunction with the forum, reveals differences in what Americans think of as a “moderate amount.” The biggest differences fall along age, gender and racial lines and about perceptions of which alcoholic beverages have health benefits.
Health benefits
Most people have heard about the potential health benefits of red wine, but in the past decade hundreds of studies have been conducted suggesting that some of the benefits derived from moderate alcohol consumption arise from the ethanol itself, making consumption of beer, wine or spirits equally beneficial.
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans cite several studies indicating that light-to-moderate alcohol consumption is linked to lower mortality from coronary heart disease, especially among men ages 45 or older and women ages 55 or older. The guidelines recommend that “If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation,” which the guidelines define as one drink a day for women and two for men.
“While many studies consider the health benefits of all types of alcohol relatively equal, today we are exploring whether beer makes a unique contribution beyond that attributed to other types of alcohol,” said Storey.
Survey results
“Drinking in moderation seems like a simple message, but is it?” said Storey. “This survey is an attempt to understand what people define as moderation and their perceptions about the health benefits of alcoholic beverages.”
The CFNAP study revealed that many people understand the definition of moderation, but perceptions vary. The results of the national telephone survey of 1,032 adults, 21 years of age or older, conducted in September 2005, include:
• A majority of people surveyed view moderate consumption of alcohol as healthful, but almost twice as many men and more than four times as many women say wine is healthful over those who say beer has health benefits. Even fewer said moderate consumption of spirits has health benefits.
• More adult college graduates believe there are differences in the healthfulness of alcoholic beverages than do adult high school graduates or adults with less than a high school education.
• There are gender, age, income, education level and racial differences in beer consumption. For example:
- Significantly more men than women report drinking beer.
- Among men and women who drink beer, men report drinking beer about five times a month; women drink it a little less than three times a month.
- More adult college graduates and those with higher incomes report drinking beer than adults who did not graduate from high school and those with less income.