We’ve all heard it before, “A shot of whiskey a day keeps the doctor away.” However is there any truth to this? Well, whether or not whiskey, or alcohol in general, is “good for you” has been debated for many years. Let’s explore what evidence there is from multiple current research studies.
Before we start, we need to clarify something. Not only do we want to know what pros and cons to our health whiskey imparts, but we also want to know how much of it is ok to drink and still not be harmful for our health. Most studies classify mild to moderate whiskey intake to 1-2 drinks (1.5-3 oz) of whiskey a day for a man, and 1 drink a day for a woman; heavy drinking is considered 3 or more drinks a day of whiskey for a man and 2 or more for a woman. This is based on multiple studies that show harmful physiological effects and damage to the body when drinking heavy amounts of whiskey (and alcohol in general). So now that we know the generalized safe dosage a person can drink, let’s look at some specific areas of research.
Cardiovascular health effects are the most widely studied area when looking at the effects alcohol has on physiology. Due to the high levels of antioxidants contained within whiskey, multiple studies show moderate drinking provides a health benefit to the cardiovascular system. Many of these are large meta-analysis studies which combine a number of papers looking at similar outcomes to provide clearer answers. Some specific measures of improvement included decreased hypertension, elevated HDL (“good” cholesterol) levels, and decreased fibrinogen (clotting protein) levels. An interesting finding that has been shown in a few studies is that moderate drinking is better for your heart when compared to both heavy drinking and not drinking alcohol. Patients who had 1-2 drinks a day had a lower number of heart attacks and strokes compared to ones who drank heavier or none at all. Overall, more than a 100 medical studies show this consistently.
Another common medical problem facing adults is developing Type 2 diabetes as they age. While many think that alcohol increases blood sugars (and ultimately diabetes), the research consistently shows that moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of this diagnosis. A study in 2001 showed this finding during a 12-year follow-up period, indicating the insulin level protection is a long-term process.
The risk of developing dementia has also been looked at within the medical research. A 2003 study showed drinking 1 or less drinks a day in patients over age 65 years had a reduced incidence of developing dementia. However the research on this area is not clear, as other studies have not shown a significant benefit or risk reduction. At this time, all one can conclude is alcohol drank in moderation does not increase the risk for a person to develop dementia. Whether or not there’s a significant benefit is still not clear.
While there have been many other medical studies looking at various outcomes that the intake of alcohol has on our health, we ultimately get back to the question “Will a shot of whiskey a day keep the doctor away?” Britain’s Grace Jones, who turned 112 years old in September 2018, thinks so. NPR spoke to her on her birthday and asked her just what her secret was to her long life. Her answer? Her decades-long practice of having a glass of single malt whiskey every night before bed. It sounds too good to be true, right? It might not be. Science is revealing that drinking the “water of life” in moderation is truly good for your health.