|  In 1974 the researchers from the landmark Framingham Heart Study, USA submitted its results to the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) and reported the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease: high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, and abstinence from alcohol.
The FDA confiscated the data, and advised the researchers not to comment on potential health benefits of alcohol, for fear of increased alcohol abuse.
Since then, dozens of large observational trials have reported a 40 - 60 % reduction in cardiovascular disease among consumers of moderate amounts of wine daily.
These findings with respect to heart attack, stroke, and cardiac death prevention are consistent among researchers across the globe, and the findings are statistically robust.
Although lacking for a randomized double-blind controlled study, these epidemiological studies, combined with plausible biologic evidence of benefit specifically to endothelial health, cholesterol profiles, and clot prevention, as well as numerous other advantages of wine, particularly red wine, to the inhibition of atherogenesis, makes the health benefits of moderate daily wine consumption without dispute.
'Certainly your leading cardiologists are familiar with the scientific literature. They however, seem to fall victim, as did the US FDA some 30 years ago, to the fears of increased alcohol abuse'.
Alcohol abuse is and remains a problem in the US society as I suspect is also true in your country. Nevertheless, to rebuke the scientific evidence and withhold an important piece of the dietary prevention model for cardiovascular disease does no service to your readers or your population.
Dr. Tedd Goldfinger
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine/Cardiology
University of Arizona School of Medicine;
Senior Cardiologist,
Desert Cardiology of Tucson ,
Tucson Arizona USA
In the meanwhile here are a couple of viewpoints expressed on the net by not-so-experts:
I feel sorry for the writer of this article. As if somebody is trying to prove something. Get a life and enjoy that glass of wine!
CM
Toronto, Canada
Dr. Chopra must be a remarkable man. He claims to have read 16 million articles on alcohol and health. That means you would have to read over 1000 articles per day for over 40 years to duplicate that feat. Perhaps if he had spent some time enjoying a glass of wine once in a while, he would have come to the realization that the pure enjoyment of a good glass of wine has a healthful benefit all of its own.
Dr. Wilf
Victoria , Canada
Although I am sympathetic to Dr. H. K. Chopra's opinion about the benefits of alcohol, one must question his tendency towards hyperbole. Even if he were able to read one article per minute, it would take him 30 years non stop (24 hrs/day) to read the 16 million articles he claims to have reviewed. Further, if there were even 16 thousand articles on the benefits of alcohol in existence, I would be surprised.
Bill
Boston , USA
A related article on the grape juice benefits can be accessed at http://delhiwineclub.com/wine_health/Grape_Juice.asp |
