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Press Release
Exciting news - Guelph estate winery celebrates its one year anniversary.

Scientific Abstracts relating to Alcohol Consumption
Medical abstracts (journal article summaries), from current scientific publications.

Tasting Glossary
A list of universal tasting terms and their proper application.

The Vine and Root
An intriguing look at the vine and its root system.

Wine, beer and spirits and the risk of myocardial infarction: a systematic review

Cleophas TJ Biomed Pharmacother 1999 Oct;53(9):417-23 Department of Medicine, Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol has beneficial and harmful effects on health at the same time. Wine may be more beneficial for the heart than other types of alcoholic beverages. OBJECTIVES: 1. To assess the current status of knowledge regarding the relationship between death and alcohol consumption. 2. To assess the relationship between myocardial infarction (MI) and consumption of different types of alcoholic beverages, both low doses (1-4 drinks a day), and high doses (> 4 drinks a day). METHODS: Meta-analysis of major cohort and case-control studies. For the assessment of death and alcohol consumption eight cohort studies were used; for the assessment of MI and different types of alcoholic beverages, 12 cohort and two case-control studies were used. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: 1. Small doses of alcohol (1-4 drinks a day) are associated with a slightly reduced risk of mortality and coronary heart disease (CHD). 2. Small doses (1-4 drinks a day) of wine, beer, and spirits are equally beneficial. 3. Apart from a direct beneficial effect of low doses of alcohol on mortality and CHD, some psychological factors may contribute to its beneficial effect. 4. High doses of alcohol (> or = 5 drinks a day) are not associated with a reduced risk of death and CHD. 5. Apart from a direct effect of alcohol, confounding factors, particularly those of a psychological nature, may very well again contribute to the loss of benefits.

The relationship between alcohol consumption, health indicators and mortality in the German population

Int J Epidemiol 1999 Dec;28(6):1066-72 Hoffmeister H, Schelp FP, Mensink GB, Dietz E, Bohning D Freie Universitat Berlin, Institut fur Soziale Medizin, Germany.

BACKGROUND: The patterns of total alcohol, beer and wine consumption were evaluated in the German National Health Surveys. The impact of these habits on cardiovascular and all-cause mortality as well as cardiovascular risk factors and liver disease parameters was estimated. METHODS: Independent representative samples of the German population (15,400 people), and regional samples of the Berlin-Spandau population (2,370 in total), aged 25-69 years, were analysed. The amount and frequency of alcohol consumption was assessed with standardized questionnaires. Biochemical analyses included serum lipids and gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase (Gamma GT). Multiple analyses of variance were used to determine the relationship between alcohol intake and biochemical parameters. A mortality follow-up of about 7 years was conducted for the Berlin-Spandau population. Proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. RESULTS: Over 80% of men and 55% of women in Germany drink alcohol on a regular base. The majority of the consumers (65% of men, 87% of women) are light (1-20 g/day) or moderate (21-40 g/day) drinkers. Higher serum high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and Gamma GT levels were observed with increasing alcohol intake. In light and moderate drinkers no significant relationship was seen with non-HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure and body mass index, compared to teetotallers. Men who consumed 1-20 g alcohol/day had a significantly lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. As compared to nondrinkers, the risk was almost 50% lower. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that light (and possibly moderate) alcohol consumption reduces the risk of cardiovascular and total mortality risk and is favourably related to HDL-cholesterol.

Fragments of tradition: revisiting the virtues of wine.

Drugs Exp Clin Res 1999;25(2-3):163-5 Vintani PG Farmacia Vintani, Barlassina, Milan, Italy. vintani@sanimatica

Wine is a characteristic example of how difficult it is to make a clear-cut distinction between products that are good for man's health and those that damage it. Over the centuries wine has not only been used as a foodstuff, a luxury item and a poison, but also a drug, a carrier for preparing medicines, a cure-all for the ills of the body and soul, and has even assumed an aura of holiness and mysticism. All of these can fall into the categories of treatment and prevention. In taking an historic look at the various opportunities wine has provided over the centuries--especially in the history of pharmacy--the aim is not to reject the product, but rather to reconfirm its qualities in the light of recent discoveries, and above all, highlight how these qualities are inherent to the product as a whole, not just in terms of its individual components. Wine has many characteristics that could classify it as a plant compound. This could serve as a reevaluation of tradition and traditional medicines, not by dissecting them, but by reconsidering them in their historical, medical and even religious entireties. Finally, but no less importantly, some active ingredients of wine with acknowledged therapeutic properties have been used for millennia in traditional Chinese plant therapy. Ingredients contained in other plants have been used for the same purposes and have recently been "scientifically" discovered.

Scientific abstracts are updated monthly as new information in wine and food industry research is released. Watch for exciting scientific data on your favorite beverage!!
Joseph Rosen

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