Each year, 11,7 liters of alcohol are consumed per inhabitant in France according to Santé Publique France. According to the WHO, this consumption would cause the death of nearly 3 million people around the world every year. However, studies regularly show the benefits of alcohol… So, alcohol, good or bad for health?

TRUE 

Many studies have highlighted this protective effect of alcohol: the risk of heart disease is reduced by 20 to 30% by drinking an average of two glasses of alcohol per day.¹.

It would prevent heart attacks due to the formation of clots in the arteries. Ethanol, contained in wine, increases the concentration of “good cholesterol” in the blood (HDL cholesterol) and dissolves “bad cholesterol” (LDL cholesterol) which binds to the walls of the arteries.². In addition, alcohol thins the blood by reducing the aggregation of platelets, which is the cause of blood clots.³.

Risk reduction is only relevant for middle-aged or older adults who are at risk for heart disease. In addition, beyond two drinks a day, the risk increases and quickly exceeds that of an abstinent person.