Uncorking the Truth

New book relies on science to dispel alcohol myths

By Neal D. Hulkower

Though we’re well into the 2020s, there are forces hell-bent on reviving the gravest mistake of the 1920s: Prohibition. This time, instead of “heal[ing] what [was seen] as an ill society beset by alcohol-related problems such as alcoholism, family violence, and saloon-based political corruption” (from Wikipedia), the justification is more personal: the impact of alcohol on one’s health.

On January 4, 2023, the World Health Organization, or WHO, self-righteously proclaimed, “No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.” This questionable public pronouncement disregards the wide range of individual responses to any consumable, let alone alcohol. Neither does it consider the significant differences among the various types of alcoholic beverages. The proclamation instead serves as the basis for the redemonization of one of the world’s oldest libations. Governmental entities, accepting WHO’s statements as gospel, are twisting themselves into knots trying to accept this perplexing theory while determining how to compensate for lost taxes and evade the wrath of the wine, beer and spirits industries.

For example, state and federal health organizations in the United States are slowly winnowing the recommended number of alcoholic drinks adults should consume daily to as little as zero. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims “even moderate drinking may increase your risk of death and other alcohol-related harms, compared to not drinking.” The Oregon Health Authority launched a “Rethink the Drink” media campaign featuring a public service ad with blatantly anti-alcohol messaging specifically targeting wine– and red wine at that. The backlash was forceful and immediate; the Oregon Beverage Alliance labeled it “wasteful and offensive.”

Into the skirmish enters Tony Edwards and his second book, The Very Good News About Wine: Authoritative health evidence the health authorities don’t tell you. Edwards is a former award-winning BBC science documentarian and writer. His work has appeared in popular and medical publications. It should be required reading for anyone in the wine industry who interacts with the public and must address uncomfortable questions regarding the benefits of what they are selling. It provides a knowledgeable rebuttal of biased nonsense increasingly flowing from government agencies through the media under the guise of settled medical science. It should also appear on the reading list for anyone seeking an impartial exploration of the impact of alcohol to make a more informed decision about its use.

Edwards’s 2013 book, The Good News About Booze, was his first foray into the fray. He “summarized 50 years of medical evidence amply demonstrating two related but counter-intuitive discoveries: 1. drinking moderate amounts of alcohol is good for one’s health, 2. drinking no alcohol at all can be almost as injurious to health as drinking too much.” He felt prompted to revisit the subject because of “the attitude to drinking taken by the ‘medical authorities.’

Regularly, the quantity of alcohol officially declared safe has been reduced. In almost every other country, the ‘alcohol guidelines’ are now far lower than in 2013.” He establishes the tone with this bold assertion: “If wine were patentable, pharmaceutical companies would surely be producing tanker-loads of it to sell to health authorities, as a simple way to reduce the general burden of disease and the consequent pressure on health services.”

The encouraging news is elaborated affliction by affliction within the 16 chapters of this surprisingly straightforward, insightful, brief book. Not unexpectedly, cancer is the first disease mentioned and given the most scrutiny. Edwards acknowledges that head and neck cancers are uncontestably caused by alcohol because its toxicity has not yet been neutralized by the digestive system. Of course, smoking while drinking increases this as well as other cancer diagnoses. He includes a discussion of dietary measures that can reduce this risk in moderate drinkers.

The rest of the chapter considers various cancers in parts of the body not flooded by undetoxified doses of alcohol. Here he presents evidence that drinking alcohol in moderation, particularly up to one-third of a bottle of red wine, can make a positive contribution to cancer prevention by reducing the likelihood. In many cases, however, the evidence seems to end in a tie. The positive news Edwards reveals is how cancers of the kidney, thyroid, and blood, along with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, can be prevented by all types of alcohol.

The chapter on a subject near and dear to my pump, heart disease, summarizes some hopeful findings. An Oxford University study from the 1950s “found that non-drinkers had twice the death rates of men who drank even as much as the equivalent of a bottle of wine a day.” Harvard University later confirmed these results with other researchers, concluding “alcohol is good medicine not only for the heart but for the whole cardiovascular system– for example, halving of the risk of heart failure, high blood pressure and ischemic stroke [compared to nondrinkers].”

Other chapters address diabetes, dementia, differences by gender and race, and effects on weight and guts. Regarding the latter, he quotes professor Tim D. Spector of King’s College London who reported “there was a significant increase in gut diversity in daily wine drinkers.” There is a chapter summarizing other health benefits of drinking on a variety of issues, including sexual function and the common cold. Edwards leaves no kidney stone unturned concluding: “Alcohol in general and wine in particular can provide a wide variety of individual health benefits.” The very good news continues with a chapter on the evidence of increased life expectancy compared to nondrinkers.

“What’s in Wine?” analyzes all the constituents. It focuses specifically on red wine’s salubrious impact. Most important are polyphenols, a collection of semi- and totally unpronounceable compounds, antioxidants present in minute quantities of 0 to 1060 milligrams per liter. Hydroxytyrosol (also found in extra virgin olive oil) is one of the best with a long list of additional health benefits.

Edwards dedicates a chapter to “Even Healthier Wine,” that considers eliminating toxic chemicals in its production, especially in the vineyard. He cautions: “Wine grapes are now among the most pesticide-intensive crops in the world.” He compares organics and biodynamics, two approaches in eliminating problematic synthetics. After reviewing a number of studies, he declares: “There is no evidence that biodynamic viticulture produces better wines than organic husbandry.”
Alcohol-free wine– which Edwards calls fake wine– is discussed, and indeed, found wanting. “Real wine is better for your health than alcohol-free wine, as alcohol and wine’s natural ingredients appear to act synergistically.”

“Dis- Mis- and Mal- Information” exposes the sources of funding for medical research. It exonerates the alcohol industry of exerting any undue influence on the outcome of studies it funds. In contrast, by distorting and selectively publicizing the findings of research, the anti-alcohol sector has pressured medical authorities to reduce the consumption guidelines so that it is asymptotically approaching zero.

The author routinely questions the results he reports, much as a reader. When questions are begged, he asks and answers them. Many appear in the penultimate chapter, FAQ. Some inquires that occurred to me weren’t addressed: What is the relative healthiness of amber, natural, dessert and fortified wines compared to a dry red? Do the skins of white grapes contain the same polyphenols as red ones? How does the sugar in a dessert impact the healthiness of a wine? What about the added alcohol in a port, sherry, and other fortified wines?

Chapter 16, the Afterword, includes a critique of WHO’s recommendations. The blind, uncritical, and manifestly ignorant acceptance of them by global governments has become committed to what he calls a de facto Prohibition. Edwards advises: “If governments really must issue advice on drinking habits, they should ‘follow the science.’”

Edwards notes, “This book is uniquely led by the medical evidence, not by my personal opinion.” Its conclusions rely on 340 studies and references footnoted throughout and listed at the end. Master observer that he is, Edwards has digested highly technical material mass and presents it, with minimum jargon, to nonspecialists. He frequently quotes from the literature, especially when the point runs contrary to the dominant narrative promoted by government agencies. He also emphasizes the importance of increased validity of studies using human subjects.

The principal findings are summarized at the end of each chapter. Particularly helpful are the charts that distill the numerical data to dramatically illustrate the points. For example, one compares the relative risk of death between nondrinkers and drinkers over 50 plotted against daily alcohol consumption. Wine drinkers fare remarkably well.

The current anti-alcohol drumbeat is attracting followers, especially among the younger generations who have been reducing and even counterintuitively foregoing the benefits of wine for dubious canned concoctions. Since neither Edwards nor I are physicians, readers should research and consult with trusted and, hopefully, well-read medical professionals to determine how much alcohol is appropriate. After all, who is WHO to tell you what to do?

There is no danger we will repeat what former Newberg, Oregon, resident Herbert Hoover termed “The Noble Experiment” during the current ‘20s, or even beyond. Nevertheless, there is a constant need to ensure unfiltered, complete, current, and accurate information regarding alcohol, and specifically, wine. Edwards’s concise text is an excellent start. Order the book, study the details of his case, and drink in the very good news, responsibly.

Neal D. Hulkower is an applied mathematician and freelance writer living in McMinnville. His first contributions to a wine publication appeared in the early 1970s. Since 2009, he has been writing regularly about wine-related topics for academic, trade and popular publications including Journal of Wine Research, Journal of Wine Economics, American Wine Society Wine Journal, Oregon Wine Press, Practical Winery & Vineyard, Wine Press Northwest, Slow Wine Guide USA and The World of Fine Wine as well as wine-searcher.com, trinkmag.com, and guildsomm.com. Neal is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers. His first book, Grape Explications, will be released by Fall 2024.