Cyd Notter

Nutrition & Health Educator, Founder of The Plan A Diet™

  • Home
  • Welcome
  • The “Plan A” Diet™
    • The “Plan A” Diet™
    • The ‘Plan A’ Diet™ Food Pyramid
    • The Plan B Transition Approach
    • Our Mission & Philosophy
    • Why Go Plant-Based?
    • What’s Really True?
    • The story behind the book
  • Order the Book
  • About Cyd
  • Contact Us
  • Coaching Services
  • Articles of Interest
    • Food Topics
      • Success Tips for Changing Your Diet
      • Do you suffer from Carbophobia?
      • What about alcohol?
      • The Slippery Slope of “Eating in Moderation”
      • A Nutrition Pop Quiz
      • Protein and Calcium
      • Aren’t Starches Fattening
      • Oils
        • Coconut Oil – Yes or No
        • Oils – what you should know
      • Eating Enough Fruits and Veggies?
      • Do you have a holiday game plan?
      • Making Only One Change?
      • America’s Love Affair with Bacon
      • Is it Safe to Eat Soy?
      • Are gluten-free diets for everyone?
      • Planning to diet this January? Try this first!
      • Fabulous Flax Seed Has it All
      • How Important is the Glycemic Index?
      • Eating Out at Restaurants or Parties
    • Health Topics
      • Making Small Changes but Expecting Big Results
      • Family and Social Pressure
      • Genes, Schmenes – It’s most likely the food
      • Is a Plant-Based Diet Safe for Children?
      • Which Food is a Top-Rated Cancer Causer?
      • Gut Bacteria and Our Diets
      • Diet & Breast Cancer Prevention
      • Statins – Don’t Believe Everything you Read
      • Diabetes – “Manage” or Reverse?
      • The Health Benefits of (a little) Unprotected Sun
      • Making Changes Stick
      • Evaluating Research
      • Vitamin D and Sunshine
    • Faith Related
      • Addressing Biblical Objections to a Plant-Based Diet
      • Final Thoughts: Life is Short
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Links
    • Pumpkin Raisin Muffins
  • Upcoming Events
  • Resources
  • Testimonials
    • Amanda G. – Loses Digestive Issues and 115 lbs.
    • Tim P. – Off all 8 Meds!
    • Cindi R. – Reversed Blocked Carotid
    • Doug M. – Doc says “Cured!”
    • Denise V. – At Peace with Food and Body Image
    • Linda Z. – Autoimmune Skin Disorder now Dormant
    • Olga A. – Improved Cognitive Function
    • Kim C. – Relief from “Getting Older”
  • Blog
  • Media Kit

What about alcohol?

Many doctors and other health professionals continue to recommend alcohol consumption based on research that we now know was faulty. Some of you probably don’t want to hear this, but current evidence is mounting that even low intakes of alcohol increases the risk of many health issues. Alcohol is not harmless, and despite studies sponsored by the alcohol industry, no health benefits are associated with drinking a glass of wine (or other alcohol) per day.

                Photo on VisualHunt

The alcohol industry has been quite successful in its decades-long campaign to distort the facts by claiming the protective effects of alcohol, even though there are none. The basis for many of the industry’s claims are studies in which certain groups of people were misclassified as “non-drinkers.” Dr. Michael Greger explains it like this: “If you look at studies of smokers, sometimes you see higher mortality rates among those who quit smoking, compared to those that continue smoking. Why? Because the reason they quit smoking is because they got sick. So, of course, sick people die more often than less sick people. That’s why when you classify someone as a non-smoker in a study, you have to make sure they’re a ‘lifelong’ non-smoker and not just a non-smoker…since last Tuesday.”[i]

Alcohol studies also misclassify former drinkers as if they were lifelong abstainers—drinkers who may have quit because they got sick. When the studies with the misclassified drinkers were corrected, the results showed no apparent benefit of light or moderate drinking. What about the studies that show alcohol raises “good” cholesterol (HDL)? It turns out that HDL is no longer considered protective, but rather it’s the lifelong reduction of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) which does indeed decrease the risk of heart disease.[ii]

Cancer remains a growing concern too. In addition to the increased risk of stroke, heart failure, high blood pressure, physical addiction, kidney disease, and mental health problems, alcohol drinking is linked to the increase of certain cancers—especially pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma, mouth and throat cancers, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, and breast cancer. Current estimates suggest that alcohol causes nearly 6 percent of all cancer deaths worldwide.[iii]

                                   Photo on VisualHunt

Another reason we hear about the benefits of alcohol is because of the many conflicts of interest between industry and our government. The alcohol industry has recently partnered with one of our government agencies, the National Institutes of Health, to fund trial research costing $100 million. The research is designed to show that daily alcohol consumption promotes better health. Government officials claim that the alcohol industry has no input on the study planning, but documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act prove otherwise. The alcohol companies indeed have their hands in determining the study design[iv] in order to influence the results they desire. As we discussed in the “How to Manage a Temple” chapter, follow the money when hearing about studies to determine if they’re credible!

Based on the latest research, it would be irresponsible for me to condone even light or moderate drinking on a regular basis. There’s probably no harm in having an occasional drink at a wedding or a holiday celebration—that is your decision. But routine alcohol consumption cannot be considered an acceptable part of a healthy diet.

[i] Dr. Michael Greger, “Is It Better to Drink a Little Alcohol than None at All?” dated April 4, 2018; accessed September 6, 2018. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/is-it-better-to-drink-little-alcohol-than-none-at-all/

[ii] Greger, “Is It Better to Drink a Little Alcohol than None at All?”

[iii] Dr. Michael Greger, “Can Alcohol Cause Cancer?” dated March 28, 2018; accessed September 6, 2018. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/can-alcohol-cause-cancer/

[iv] Dr. Pamela Popper, “A New Business Relationship: The NIH and the Alcohol Industry.” Posted to the Health Briefs section at www.wellnessforumheath.com on March 22, 2018. Accessed September 6, 2018.

Book Cover

Click here for details

Your free gift awaits!

"5 Reasons Why Dieters Regain the Weight" is yours free when you subscribe to our newsletter.

(Newsletters are typically issued monthly, I promise not to overload your inbox.

News and Recipes from My Blog

Subscribe to receive an email when a new blog is posted

Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz

Find me elsewhere

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • The Impossible Burger and Other Meat Alternatives
  • Have a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving
  • Still wondering what to cook for Thanksgiving?
  • A Common Misconception about Type 2 Diabetes
  • Interview on Rock Your World Naturally
  • Making Small Changes but Expecting Big Results
  • Alcohol and Cancer Risk
  • It’s now safe to eat red and processed meat?
  • African Peanut Stew
  • Interview on The Corinne Nijjer Podcast

Categories

  • Articles of Interest
  • Breakfasts, Breads & Muffins
  • Desserts
  • Main Entree
  • My Blog
  • Oils
  • Recipes
  • Recommended Resources
  • Testimonials
  • Upcoming Events

Archives

News and Recipes from My Blog

Subscribe to receive an email when a new blog is posted.

Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz

Privacy Policy · Legal Notice & Disclosures

Copyright © 2019 · Cyd Notter · Site by WebByMike.com · Admin · Log in