Drinking alcohol is quite common in the U.S. -- about 50 percent of the U.S. population regularly drinks alcohol, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There is scientific evidence that people who drink moderately may be healthier in some respects versus those that drink excessively and those that abstain altogether. One of the health benefits of moderate drinking is its beneficial effect on blood cholesterol levels.
Types of Cholesterol
There are two main types of cholesterol: HDL and LDL. HDL, an acronym for high-density lipoprotein, is often called the "good" cholesterol because high HDL level promote heart health. HDL is targeted to the liver, which processes the cholesterol and removes it from the body. Conversely, LDL, an abbreviation for low-density lipoprotein, promotes cholesterol deposition in the body, which can lead to blood vessel damage through condition called atherosclerosis. In general, the healthiest cholesterol levels are lower than 129 mg/dL for LDL cholesterol and greater than 60 mg/dL for HDL cholesterol.
Moderate Alcohol Consumption Raises HDL cholesterol
Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol raises HDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Alcohol thus promotes the removal of excess cholesterol from the body. In this manner, drinking moderate amounts of alcohol promotes heart health. In fact, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that consuming 30 mg of alcohol per day, which is roughly equal to two standard drinks, increases HDL cholesterol enough to reduce the heart disease risk by 16.8 percent.
Consider the Overall Risk of Heart Disease
It is important to interpret the effects of alcohol on HDL cholesterol in context of all factors that contribute to heart disease. Even though 30 mg of alcohol reduces HDL levels, it is important to note that the same amount of alcohol also raised the blood levels of molecules called triglycerides to a level in which a person's risk of heart disease is elevated by 4.6 percent. Thus, alcohol reduces heart disease in some ways, but increases it in others.
Recommendations
MayoClinic.com advises that it is generally safe for women to have one drink per day and men to have two drinks per day. These amounts are the general definition of moderate drinking. However, both men and women older than 65 should drink only up to one drink per day. One drink is generally defined as 5 oz. of wine, 12 oz. of beer or 1.5 oz. of spirits. Despite the beneficial effects of moderate alcohol consumption on health, do not start drinking if you do not already solely for its health effects. This is because the detrimental effects of heavy drinking greatly outweigh the beneficial effects of moderate drinking. Because starting to drink comes with the risk that it may be abused, it is not recommended that you drink solely to curb cholesterol levels.
References
- MayoClinic.com: High Cholesterol
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Alcohol's Effects on the Risk for Coronary Heart Disease
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- Harvard Health Publications: Help for your cholesterol when the statins won't do
