blood alcohol levels. The carbon dioxide
bubbles in sparkling wines and beer cause the
same accelerated rise by as yet unknown
means.
The Benefits of Moderate Drinking
One consistent finding from several
decades’ worth of studies is that people
who regularly consume the equivalent of
one or two alcoholic drinks per day die less
often from heart disease and stroke.
(Higher consumption is associated with
higher death rates from cancer and
accidents.) Alcohol itself raises the levels
of desirable HDL cholesterol and lowers
the levels of blood factors that induce
clotting and thus contribute to blockages.
And red wine and dark beer are good
sources of antioxidant phenolic compounds
(p. 255). Wine phenolics also cause
arteries to widen and reduce the tendency
of red blood cells to stick together, and a