In a follow-up to two of my previous posts about the dangers of red wine (click here and here), ridding yourself of that nightly glass of wine can make you happier. New research finds that, particularly among females, quitting alcohol can enhance mental well-being. The study, carried out at Hong Kong University, runs counter to other studies that argue that having the occasional drink may be useful in fact. The less alcohol we consume, the better we are at the end of the day.
“Our findings suggest caution in recommendations that moderate drinking could improve health-related quality of life. Instead, quitting drinking may be associated with a more favorable change in mental well-being, approaching the level of lifetime abstainers,” says lead author Dr. Michael Ni of the University’s School of Public Health and State Key Brain and Cognitive Science Laboratory.
Researchers contrasted their results with information from the National Alcohol and Related Conditions Epidemiological Survey, a representative study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism undertaken by 31,079 Americans. They discovered that at the beginning of the research, lifetime abstainers from both sexes had the greatest rate of mental well-being. In both research samples, women who once were mild drinkers and stopped drinking encountered a beneficial shift in mental well-being. After adjustment for sociodemographic features, body mass index, smoking status, and other variables, the results of both research were accurate.
“More evidence suggests caution in recommending moderate drinking as part of a healthy diet,” says Dr. Ni. ”Global alcohol consumption is expected to continue to increase unless effective strategies are employed.”
Comments from Dr. Thomas: Two great alternatives to red wine that have similar color, sweetness, body, and bouquet, and even more beneficial antioxidants but none of the detrimental alcohol, are organic pomegranate juice and tart cherry juice.
