On Wed, 1 Apr 1998, Marc Harmon wrote:

> Yes, it is said that the liver will convert alcohol to
> sugar, but Research (which, unless it helps my preferences, I usually
> take with a grain of salt {some are not aware of this grain}) suggests
> that wine decreases cardiovascular risk.  I have considered that this may
> mean that wine has a beneficial affect on fats, considering that alcohol
> cleans fat and oil off of objects.  Of course, the value may be in
> relaxing both the physical and the mental.

At this point, the favored view is that alcohol (not just wine)
decreases cardiovascular risk by tending to raise HDL
cholesterol.  There is speculation that certain substances in red
wine, such as quercetin, have additional protective properties,
but I don't believe it has been shown that wine has a greater
protective effect than other alcoholic beverages.

The deal, however, is that the amounts consumed must be modest,
which is imprecisely defined as 2 or 3 drinks per day for an
"average" man.  If one drinks more than that, the alcohol tends
to raise triglycerides.

Of course, there is still controversy about whether HDL
cholesterol is in fact "good".

Todd Moody
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