News & Views

During the pandemic are we drinking too much Chardonnay?

W. Gifford-Jones MD & Diana Gifford-Jones

October 17, 2020

BY W. GIFFORD- JONES MD & DIANA GIFFORD-JONES

Winston Churchill, Great Britain’s wartime Prime Minister, once remarked that, “He had gotten more out of alcohol than alcohol had taken out of him.”

During the Nazi bombing of London, perhaps an alcoholic drink eased his tension. But recent reports from Tufts University in Boston, and the University of California, question the increased use of alcohol during this viral pandemic. So, should we cut back on glasses of Chardonnay?

How much has the viral pandemic affected us? According to a Nielsen report, alcohol sales in the U.S. increased by 55% in March 2020. In China, where the infection started, sales of alcohol increased twofold.

When we drink alcohol, enzymes in the liver break down the alcohol molecule creating a compound called, acetaldehyde. This is a toxin that if taken to excess, can cause: liver damage, pancreatitis, and various cancers. So, are potential risks too high?

A recent study published in the journal Neurology followed 20,000 low to moderate drinkers, and middle-aged to elderly, for nine years, to check on their brains. These were compared to those who had never touched alcohol. Researchers discovered low to moderate drinking improved brain function and its rate of decline. But another study showed that 14 drinks a week had the opposite effect.

What about red wine that has been associated with improved cardiovascular health? This column has reported that moderate drinkers live longer that teetotalers. Studies have also shown alcohol slows down the formation of blood clots, decreasing coronary attack and stroke.

Dr Alice H. Lichtenstein (Director of Cardiovascular Nutrition at Tufts University) says, “There is no proof that moderate alcohol consumption offers any protection. People who drink moderately also make other healthier diet and lifestyle choices like not smoking.”

There is also general agreement among authorities that excessive amounts of alcohol over time are a carcinogen. This can result in cancers of the neck, oesophagus, liver, colon and breast. Alcohol also interferes with the breakdown of estrogen, increasing the risk of estrogen sensitive breast malignancies.

Too much chardonnay can also weaken the immune cells in the lungs and other organs. That’s the last thing we want during the pandemic.

Another thing that we don’t need is a mother who drinks during pregnancy. It’s tragic when mothers drink to excess, and their child suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome. There’s no miracle treatment for these innocent children.

The main philosophy of this column has been Rule #1, prevention. Rule #2, never forget Rule #1. This means making sound lifestyle decisions starting early in life. It is the best passport for a long life.

The debate over the use of alcohol may never end. But this column contends that sound advice is to enjoy moderate consumption of alcohol. Excessive use has proven to lead to tragic consequences.

Future studies may point otherwise. But until that happens it is interesting to consider what some brilliant minds have remarked about the drinking of alcohol.

For instance, Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, centuries ago supported the use of alcohol. Sir William Osler (the esteemed Professor of Medicine at McGill in Montreal, Johns Hopkins, and Oxford universities) claimed that alcohol was for the elderly what milk is for the young. Add to this, the wise counsel of Cardinal Richelieu remarked, “If God forbid drinking, would he have made wine so good?” Let us not forget that Jesus supported the use of alcohol. After all, he changed water into wine.

Let’s follow the example of an elderly Churchill, who said, “I used to say I wouldn’t drink before lunch, now it’s before breakfast.”

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Written By W. Gifford-Jones MD & Diana Gifford-Jones

Dr. W. Gifford-Jones, MD is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the Harvard Medical School. He trained in general surgery at Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University and in Gynecology at Harvard. His storied medical career began as a general practitioner, ship’s surgeon, and hotel doctor. For more than 40 years, he specialized in gynecology, devoting his practice to the formative issues of women’s health. In 1975, he launched his weekly medical column that has been published by national and local Canadian and U.S. newspapers. Today, the readership remains over seven million. His advice contains a solid dose of common sense and he never sits on the fence with controversial issues. He is the author of nine books including, “The Healthy Barmaid”, his autobiography “You’re Going To Do What?”, “What I Learned as a Medical Journalist”, and “90+ How I Got There!” Many years ago, he was successful in a fight to legalize heroin to help ease the pain of terminal cancer patients. His foundation at that time donated $500,000 to establish the Gifford-Jones Professorship in Pain Control and Palliative Care at the University of Toronto Medical School. At 93 years of age he rappelled from the top of Toronto’s City Hall (30 stories) to raise funds for children with a life-threatening disease through the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Diana Gifford-Jones, the daughter of W. Gifford-Jones, MD, Diana has extensive global experience in health and healthcare policy. Diana is Special Advisor with The Aga Khan University, which operates 2 quaternary care hospitals and numerous secondary hospitals, medical centres, pharmacies, and laboratories in South Asia and Africa. She worked for ten years in the Human Development sectors at the World Bank, including health policy and economics, nutrition, and population health. For over a decade at The Conference Board of Canada, she managed four health-related executive networks, including the Roundtable on Socio-Economic Determinants of Health, the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, the Canadian Centre for Environmental Health, and the Centre for Health System Design and Management. Her master’s degree in public policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government included coursework at Harvard Medical School. She is also a graduate of Wellesley College. She has extensive experience with Canadian universities, including at Carleton University, where she was the Executive Director of the Global Academy. She lived and worked in Japan for four years and speaks Japanese fluently. Diana has the designation as a certified Chartered Director from The Directors College, a joint venture of The Conference Board of Canada and McMaster University. She has recently published a book on the natural health philosophy of W. Gifford-Jones, called No Nonsense Health – Naturally!

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