At least 65 percent of Americans have had one drink in the past year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those, 52 percent had at least 12 drinks in the past year. Alcohol is available at social functions, at home, restaurants and bars. There are links between your consumption of alcohol and your levels of HDL and LDL cholesterol.
Alcohol Intake
The studies that look at alcohol and cholesterol levels have evaluated individuals who were moderate drinkers. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a moderate drinker consumes up to one drink every day for women and up to two drinks every day for men. Those who are heavy or high-risk drinkers drink more than three drinks in any one day or more than seven drinks per week for a woman and 14 per week for a man. Binge drinkers consume more than four drinks in two hours for a woman and more than five drinks for a man.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a type of fat that is eaten in your food and is also produced by your liver. It cannot travel through the bloodstream alone and so combines with proteins that transport it to different parts of the body. LDL is considered the 'bad' cholesterol because it has been linked with plaque buildup in the arteries and an increased risk of heart disease. HDL cholesterol is considered the 'good' cholesterol because researchers believe it is used by the body to transport fats back to the liver, where it can be excreted from the body.
Relationship Between Cholesterol and Alcohol
In a study published in 2000 in "Circulation," the journal of the American Heart Association, clinical investigators linked the consumption of alcohol with a rise in HDL cholesterol levels. This increase was found in a dose dependent fashion. Those subjects who received moderate amounts of alcohol had the greatest rise in HDL cholesterol while those who received the equivalent of a heavy drinker had a reduced protective effect. Similar results were found with LDL cholesterol in a study published in "Alcohol and Alcoholism". Researchers were studying the differences between men who had diabetes and those who did not. In both cases, men who were moderate drinkers experienced lower levels of LDL cholesterol.
Warnings
The American Heart Association recognizes the results of the studies, which indicate that moderate consumption of alcohol can lead to higher levels of HDL and lower levels of LDL. However, it also warns that while further research is warranted to better determine the reasons for these changes, drinking more alcohol will also increase the dangers of alcoholism, high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, breast cancer, suicide and accidents. Therefore, the American Heart Association does not recommend that you start drinking, or increase your consumption of alcohol, to affect your cholesterol levels. They do recommend that you increase your exercise, your intake of fruits and vegetables and reduce your intake of saturated fats.
References
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Alcohol Use
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- KidsHealth from Nemours: What is Cholesterol
- "Circulation"; Alcohol Consumption Raises HDL Cholesterol Levles by Increasing the Transport Rate of Apolipoproteins A-I and A-II; E.Silva, et al.; 2000
- "Alcohol and Alcoholism"; Comparison of the Relationships of Alcohol Intake with Atheroclerotic Risk Factors in Men with and without Diabetes Mellitus; I. Wakabayashi; 2011
- American Heart Association: Alcohol, Wine and Cardiovascular Disease
