Can Alcohol Ever Be Healthy? | ZOE Science and Nutrition Podcast

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For a lot of us, it's a ritual to help us unwind after a lengthy day, a reason to overtake pals, or a lubricant to an uncomfortable social circumstance. Alcohol can be delicious, however our connection with it is typically made complex.

Great times with pals aren't without sacrifice, and also most of us feel the morning after effect of a few way too many beverages. For an unfortunate minority, alcohol can result in addiction as well as also death.

What we wish to know is, can alcohol ever be healthy? Is any quantity of alcohol a sure path to an early tomb, or could a glass of merlot be the most effective point for your heart health? This episode takes a great check out these oppositions to see what the scientific research claims.

Jonathan talks to two leading scientists to much better recognize the impacts of alcohol:
– Teacher Tim Spector – scientific co-founder at Zoe as well as among the leading 100 most mentioned scientists worldwide.
– Dr Sarah Berry – one of the world's leading experts in human nourishment, with over 30 randomised human professional tests to her name.

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Timecodes:
00:00 – Introductory
00:10 – Jonathan's introduction
01:22 – Episode beginning
01:42 – Tim's favorite alcohol
02:27 – Is red wine healthy and balanced?
05:23 – How does alcohol associate with our microbiomes?
09:45 – What's the root cause of alcohol's positive results?
12:29 – The importance of the amount of alcohol eaten
18:06 – Recognizing the negative effects of alcohol
20:31 – Why do hangovers become worse with age?
25:08 – Does alcohol influence weight?
28:47 – Alcoholic beers vs non-alcoholic beers in regard to sugar
23:24 – Avoid alcohol if you have these problems!
34:53 – How does fermentation of beer differ from kombucha?
37:42 – Organic and also natural wine
41:17 – Recap
44:36 – Outro

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This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

35 thoughts on “Can Alcohol Ever Be Healthy? | ZOE Science and Nutrition Podcast | Episode 3”

Even with 16:8 intermittent fasting and an otherwise low carbohydrate diet, I found it difficult to overcome a fat/weight loss plateau, before giving up all alcohol. After that, within a few weeks, the progress was amazing!
I have heard that it is impossible to burn fat properly when there is any alcohol in your system.

I have been trying to get the balance right with red wine and this far what I have discovered that works is I only drink immediately after dinner so i get the digestive benefit of wine but can avoid using wine to quench my thirst whilst eating, as this often leads to overdrinking… and i keep a digital scale next to my glass so my after dinner glass pour measures 125g, and I limit to 2 glasses in one night, which means 1 bottle will last 3 days… or if i want less ill do a 90g pour for 2 glasses if i want the bottle to last 4 days. I find that organic, preservative free, vegan red wine with lower-moderate alcohol is usually the best mitigate negative effects. Also i use an air stopper suction on the bottle so even at day 4 it still tastes fine. Cheers!

I do these things too 😄Natural wines are also very good with low to no added sulfites. Especially if you are prone to migraines.

Thank you!

This is a question I’ve wanted to be answered, because I do like my red wine too. And I have been wondering if one or two glasses a day, every day, is maybe too much. But I also drink home-made wine and water kefir, and eat home-made sauerkraut, red cabbage and other probiotics, hoping to balance everything out.

It concerns me that potentially the drinks industry will cherry pick scientific research to accentuate the positive effects and play down the negatives. Really pleased to hear Professor Tim Spector say (20:00 approx) “…In general you’re better off without alcohol I believe overall” – YES!

Reading between the lines here, it would seem that going back to home brews of things like ginger beer with a starter that is reused and is drunk unfiltered at low alcohol levels would be a good thing to start doing again.

So basically we drink a cancer causing nuero-toxin to potentially improve gut health and that may have a knock on effect of protecting the heart…althougn every type of alcoholic drink is different (and most don’t have the bit that helps your gut flora) and every person reacts differently.

Got to love science.

‘Advice’ like this takes a back seat to casual observation for me. My dads mum mostly abstained from alcohol, died early 80s of heart issues whereas my mums mum drank and died mid 80s. She also dripping sandwhiches! Both ate meat and enjoyed their meat veg (home cooked meals) and cakes/puddings. Both had positive mental attitudes.

Either way I think whichever way I go with alcohol would have the same outcome and although I do eat helthier than either of them did – according to modern science at least, I assume I will also be dead at an average age. Which will probably be younger than theh were as we are exposed to more chemicles and will have longer exposure to microplastics (now found in human blood).

Important thing is to enjoy yourself, be kind, try and make a positive impact where you can.
Love the new logo by the way.

Very interesting podcast . Did I miss ‘What is the impact of alcohol on your microbiome amongst the discussion’? Not sure Tim answered it. 🤔

Thanks for the info on unique polyphenols in red wine. I assumed that red grapes were best to have so I’ve added non alcoholic red wine to me diet. It’s really really tasty too!

My partner drinks from a pint mug and never with food. She drinks because she enjoys it. Sometimes she falls over or gets past the point of being able to walk. Sometimes she because argumentative and vile but she never ever gets a hangover. I gave up drinking over 40 years ago as I was usually horribly sick afterwards and always woke up with a hangover!
I can remember the way that a couple of beers relaxed me and sometimes I miss that feeling, but I have become more confident in my old age and can happily rouse myself to dance in the high street if there’s a half decent band playing. These days I’m better behaved than I used to be and I don’t feel the desire to let a substance take control or need it as either a crutch or something to blame for my poor judgement! I don’t mind being wrong or getting lost because I can learn from the experience. I think I simply have NO SHAME!

No,my friend was run over on the way to the off licence,which just proves alcohol can damage your health…

Same here. Alcohol reduction really helped my weight loss goals.

You were likely cutting out a whole load of calories by quitting the booze. It’s possible to lose fat/weight and drink. You could drink a glass of wine EVERY single and still lose weight as long as you’re putting in less than you’re burning.

If you wondering if it’s too much then it probably is. From my research I’ve heard liver consultants say that taking 3-4 consecutive days off alcohol per week is what we should be aiming for.

A brilliant podcast where there was nothing to convince me to change my choice of ‘no alcohol is great medicine for us all

Your lesbian partner is a drunk. But you’re not.

I’ve been getting hammered for decades. The mental health benefits far outweigh the downside.

@Simon Garner Don’t underestimate the mental health benefits of drinking excessively.

Such an interesting and informative discussion…. Thank you Team Zoe. Valérie ❤️❤️

Bravo !!!

Stoped drinking alcohol 30 years ago the side effects still linger on.

Good luck to anyone with alcoholism on both sides of the family tree🥳

Recently gave up alcohol (red wine) and although this tempted me, I’m going to remain alcohol free.

No. Casual observation NEVER supplants science. It’s crazy to think otherwise. If you think of science as the collation of thousands or millions of non-casual observations you can soon understand why your one single observation should never be placed above advice from scientists.

I think the need for moderation and consumption with meals could have been explained at a molecular level quite simply like this. Alcohol metabolism requires NAD+ TO NADH conversion. There are 2 metabolic pathways for metabolism. One is safe and the other creates reactive oxidated species that are carcinogenic and damage DNA. The average person can only metabolise 7g of alcohol safety per hour due to the limited availability of NAD+, the rest creates ROS. So, moderation leads to safe metabolism. Food slows down absorption and hence more of the alcohol is metabolised safety. Secondly, NAD+ is also needed for glucose metabolism to create ATP. Body will preferentially use ATP for alcohol because it is toxic, so you have less energy which you try to solve by overeating = weight gain.

Nice job, appreciate the group conversation, and outsider questions . . . Long Format is Useful!! (encore)

My understanding is Grape Skins are among most toxic in terms of chemical spraying.

This would lead one toward organic/permaculture based red wines if the goal is in any way improved health! profile, no?

(although higher fructose/glucose content over alcoholic red wines)

Dancing is a most delightful form of exercise, and promotion/exhibition of joy!

(I do hope your partner listens carefully to this podcast – when sober, and after you have erased your comment on her behalf. Nagging gets no-one anywhere, as you must know better than most – sadly.)

Excellent idea! Ginger is incredibly anti-inflammatory as well, so maybe ensuring not all the ginger is pre-digested in the fermentation process – and/or adding in fresh pressed ginger juice later.

Thanks so much for the biochemistry. May I bother you to ask if a sip or more of, say, red wine with one’s meal has a negative effect on the digestion of that meal and/or nutrient absorption?

Thanks very much!

As a near non drinker with alcoholics in my family circle, one or two drinks a day seems a huge amount to drink. A study only yesterday said over 7 units a week can lead to dementia. It’s important really to look at all angles – blood sugars, polyphenols, effects on brain oxygen levels, potential dementia in the future, cost, effects on your family of over consumption and so on. I know my skin always feels wonderful after a rare glass of red wine. But 2 glasses a day with food? Not advice most of us should follow. Too much for many. We all react differently is the main point. And what about the preservatives and pesticides in many wines, not labelled thanks to wine industry lobbying. I’d always go for organic if I could. etc.. It’s a difficult subject to bring clarity to.