Medical Advice Reduces Alcohol Consumption Levels in Risky & Binge Drinkers

Sometimes doing what the doctor recommends is not always the easiest thing. Many of us have certainly been there: “lose a little

Photo by Flickr user Vic (https://www.flickr.com/photos/59632563@N04/6104068209)
Photo by Flickr user Vic (https://www.flickr.com/photos/59632563@N04/6104068209)

weight”, “stop smoking”, “cut down on your drinking”, etc. Easier said than done! Just how effective are these requests from doctors in actually improving our health and well-being?

A new study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of medical advice to risky drinkers or binge drinkers in reducing alcohol consumption.

5735 American adults (aged 18-99) considered to be risky or binge drinkers were found and analyzed using the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Annual Survey Data. For each participant, it was determined if they were given advice from a medical professional to cut back (or stop) drinking and compared to actual consumption levels after being given this advice.

Important Findings:

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Wine, Mediterranean Diet, and Your Health News for 03/12/2015

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Photo by Flickr user  Frank Kovalchek (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72213316@N00/5366320120)
Photo by Flickr user Frank Kovalchek (http://www.flickr.com/photos/72213316@N00/5366320120)

Wine

Alcohol

Mediterranean Diet & Healthy Eating

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Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Associated with Lower Risk of Heart Attack

The knowledge that the Mediterranean diet has many health benefits is something that is certainly not lost on The French

Photo by Flickr user  Kai Hendry (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hendry/2848365145)
Photo by Flickr user Kai Hendry (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hendry/2848365145)

Paradox, nor many of our readers. From reducing the risk of diabetes and cancer to weight loss and to cardiovascular benefits, the Mediterranean diet is certainly a lifestyle choice that many people should consider.

A new study in the journal Public Health Nutrition aimed to add to the already long list of studies examining the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular health, particularly in regards to non-fatal myocardial infarction (a.k.a. “heart attack”).

760 non-fatal heart attack patients admitted to various hospitals in and around Milan, Italy (580 men and 180 women, between the ages of 19 and 79) were recruited for this study. An additional 682 patients (439 men and 243 women, between the ages of 16 and 79) with non-cardiovascular related ailments also admitted to the same Italian hospitals were recruited as controls.

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet for each participant was determined via interview and assigned a Mediterranean Diet Score.

Important Findings:

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Wine, Mediterranean Diet, and Your Health News for 03/11/2015

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Wine

Alcohol

Olives & Olive Oil

Mediterranean Diet & Healthy Eating

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Processed Meat Consumption Increases Risk of Breast Cancer in Women

As we’ve seen right here on The French Paradox in the past, strong adherence to the Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of breast cancer in women. On the other hand, studies have shown that increased meat consumption (one hallmark of a Western-style diet)

Photo by Flickr user  whity (https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitefield_d/6685238885)
Photo by Flickr user whity (https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitefield_d/6685238885)

is associated with increased all-cause mortality, diabetes, and certain types of cancer (including pancreatic and colorectal).

What is not exactly known is what the effect of poor adherence to the Mediterranean diet in the form of excess meat intake is on breast cancer risk in women.

A new study published in the journal Meat Science aimed to add a little more clarity to this issue by studying the effect of meat consumption on breast cancer in Greek women.

250 newly-diagnosed women with breast cancer (average age 56+/-12 years) were recruited for this study, as well as 250 age-matched controls without breast cancer.

Face-to-face interviews were conducted to obtain information regarding: socio-demographics, clinical, lifestyle, and dietary habits. For meat consumption habits, data for red, white, processed, and grilled meat were collected. Dietary habits were assigned scores based adherence to the Mediterranean diet using the MedDietScore.

Important Findings:

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Association is not Causation