A grounded, honest, and surprising look at what alcohol offers ... and takes away
to you
I’m writing to you from Virginia Beach, on family vacation, contemplating the same thing I’ve been contemplating every year for the nearly two decades our very festive, twenty-plus-person group has been vacationing together.
At what point do the adverse effects of alcohol outweigh its benefits of facilitating social connection?
Were the margaritas Coach Kayla and I were enjoying in the picture towards the bottom of this email worth the risk?
Before I address that question, let’s back up a step in case you believe the debatable mainstream belief that moderate drinking (1-2 drinks per day) is not only free of risk, but also offers direct health benefits.
This belief is based on various research showing a J-shaped association between alcohol intake and health risk.
What “J-shaped” means is that while there’s increased health risk with heavy drinking, as expected, there's also increased risk with complete abstinence.
The flaw in interpreting this as a benefit of moderate consumption is that many people who abstain from alcohol do so because of health issues, meaning they’re more prone to additional health issues in the future.
When abstainers are limited to people without any pre-existing health issues, the J-shaped curve disappears, negating the idea that modest alcohol consumption offers health benefits.
Then, there’s the myth that the phytochemical content of red wine, particularly resveratrol, is beneficial for health. But not only has research on resveratrol failed to support the hype, the amount of wine you’d have to drink to get a relevant dose would likely kill you, or at the very least, give you one of your worst hangovers ever!
The bottom line is that there is no amount of alcohol that promotes direct health benefits.
This is agreed upon by two of the very few public voices whom I trust as credible sources of health and lifestyle information. In fact, they each covered this topic extensively and concluded that even just one or two drinks per week can impose health risk.
“What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain & Health” by Andrew Huberman, PhD
“The Truth About Alcohol: Risks, Benefits, and Everything In-Between” by Rhonda Patrick, PhD
But there’s more to the story, which is why I’m writing this email. In short, alcohol facilitates social bonding, which is an irreplaceable part of happiness and overall wellness.
This certainly doesn’t mean you have to consume alcohol to foster great relationships. It does, however, imply that alcohol may indeed have some virtuous merit.
And to prove that Coach Kayla and I believe in that merit, here we are enjoying a delicious margarita together. (No making fun of my tennis/golf tan.)
According to scientist and philosophy professor Edward Slingerland, alcohol facilitates social bonding by inhibiting the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which makes people more likely to be friendly, open, and honest with each other.
His fascinating book, linked below, presents a compelling argument for the importance and perhaps even necessity of alcohol in the development of human civilization.
Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization
The link above is an Amazon affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from your purchases, which never costs you anything and supports us in providing this free newsletter.
As with many lifestyle decisions, there’s no “right” answer to the question of whether or not you should consume alcohol, or how much is acceptable.
While the restrictive but objective thresholds identified by Huberman and Patrick should be respected, they represent a spectrum with room for compromise.
For example, while one to two drinks at one or two social occasions per week may objectively impose some health risk, it makes it easier to feel like part of the crowd and provides “social lubrication,” arguably without incurring enough risk to offset these benefits.
Ultimately, it comes down to having an accurate understanding of the risks and rewards, and making a personal decision based on it.
As Huberman says, “Do as you wish, but know what you’re doing.”
Anything beyond a few drinks per week warrants an honest appraisal of risk versus reward.
One of the biggest obstacles here is when some (or many) of the people in your social network hold beliefs that make it more challenging to adhere to your own standards.
Assuming these are people who have genuinely earned your friendship, it’s a good “problem,” but at the same time, a potential source of inner conflict. (And yes, I can say that from experience.)
Given today’s societal norms, it’s a conflict that’s almost unavoidable.
According to statistics, most Americans are overweight with a diagnosis or elevated risk for one or more preventable health conditions. And, probably not by coincidence, many of these same people believe it’s “fine,” or even health-promoting, to have one or two drinks (or more) every day.
If you choose to have higher standards than this for your health and wellness, it’ll instantly put you at odds with a majority of the population.
That’s not a bad thing, but it does mean you’ll have to reconcile (within yourself) the differences between your values and those of your friends and family.
Yes, it can be a challenge, but working through it is worth avoiding the undesirable alternatives.
Trying to keep up with friends and family who are more liberal with alcohol will hurt your health, wellness, and quality of life, but distancing yourself from them will unnecessarily shrink and weaken your social network.
Striving for the flexibility to maintain strong relationships in the face of contrasting values is just another part of the “beautiful struggle” that is called life.
But the more you work at it, the less of a struggle it becomes.
To margaritas and great memories,
Dr. Vin
🆘 Want expert guidance on implementing the nutrition and exercise habits that will help you feel your best and optimize your health? Schedule a free call with Coach Kayla to learn more about how we can help!