When you think about ways to get your cholesterol level under control, healthy eating, abstaining from smoking and exercising regularly probably spring to mind. Yet you may be surprised to learn that drinking alcohol may also offer cholesterol benefits, particularly for increasing your HDL cholesterol level. Before you head off to grab that bottle of wine, however, you need to know the risks of adding alcohol to your diet.
Alcohol & Cholesterol Link
HDL -- high-density lipoprotein -- cholesterol is considered the good, healthy type of cholesterol. The bad LDL form circulates in the blood and contributes to clogging of the arteries; in contrast, HDL removes excess cholesterol from the blood so it can be broken down by the liver. Drinking alcohol moderately -- one to two drinks a day -- can increase high-density lipoproteins, although it does not lower your LDL cholesterol, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. But the University of Illinois' Dr. Karen Chapman, a registered dietitian, cautions that it's unclear if alcohol increases the level of the specific kind of HDL most useful in removing cholesterol from the blood.
Potential Benefits
Keeping your LDL level in check while increasing your HDL cholesterol is an important step in preventing heart disease and stroke. This is a major reason why alcohol has garnered so much attention, according to Chapman; it can not only increase high-density lipoproteins but also may help keep cholesterol and other substances from narrowing the arteries. A February 2003 article appearing in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" contained analysis of several studies that discovered links between alcohol intake and stroke. Of the 35 studies reviewed, the researchers found that those -- compared to non-drinkers -- consuming up to two drinks a day had a 20 percent reduced risk for ischemic stroke, which is the most common kind.
Dangers
The American Heart Association and others in the medical community stop short of recommending alcohol to treat high cholesterol or prevent heart problems. Despite research findings that support alcohol's positive effect on HDL cholesterol, the risks associated with drinking are too great. Chapman says that alcohol consumption is associated with increased triglycerides, which are fats that accumulate in the bloodstream. Drinking alcohol also contributes to several health problems that raise your risk for cardiovascular conditions, such as hypertension, obesity, breast cancer and alcoholism, according to the American Heart Association. Consuming five or more drinks a day increases your risk for ischemic stroke by 70 percent, according to the 2003 study review.
Bottom Line
The American Heart Association's stance is that it can't endorse drinking alcohol if you don't already consume it. The potential cardiovascular risks and the inability to know who's at risk for alcoholism outweigh the potential benefits alcohol has on HDL cholesterol and the arteries. If you currently drink, limit your intake to one to two drinks a day, with the former being the limit for women. Examples of one drink include a 12-oz. beer, 1.5-oz. 80-proof spirits and 4 oz. of wine.
References
- MayoClinic.com; HDL Cholesterol: How to Boost Your "Good" Cholesterol; July 2010
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: What Makes Your Cholesterol Low or High?
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Alcohol and Coronary Heart Disease; Karen Chapman, R.D., Ph.D.
- University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey Healthful Life Project; Alcohol Use and Stroke; December 2003
- American Heart Association: Alcohol, Wine and Cardiovascular Disease
