Julie Kelly
26 November 2013
Basic Nutrition
Controversy Project: Alcohol: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Consequences?
“I hate college but I love all the parties.” The fact of the matter is, more often than not
college students drink too much alcohol in large quantities and short amounts of time, otherwise
known as binge drinking. Denying this behavior among the average college students would not
allow me to properly present this information. While there are certainly those who choose to
abstain from alcohol in college and social situations for various reasons, the amount of those who
do consume alcohol is still extremely large. With such a large prevalence of alcohol in society,
one has to wonder the actual positive and negative consequences.
Before making assumptions on this topic, I interviewed those around me to get a better
idea of student’s behaviors regarding binge drinking and alcohol consumption. After doing so,
the most useful information found was the amount students’ drink in one average evening of
‘partying’. One interviewee responded to the question “How many drinks you consume on an
average evening?” by asking what one drink was considered. When I told her that 1.5 oz or one
shot of liquor, 12 oz of beer and 5 oz of wine equaled one drink, she was shocked as she tried to
add up all of the different kinds of alcohol she had recently consumed. She reached a rough
estimate of eight drinks after struggling through the addition. This pattern remained similar with
my other interviewees, the amount that each student drank ranged from 4-12 drinks per student,
all under the age of 21. As I asked each individual, even they seemed surprised at the number of
drinks they had racked up in one evening. Furthermore, these students all said that they were
aware of the effects alcohol has on their body.
But are they really?
There is supporting evidence to suggest that alcohol has both positive and negative
effects on the body. Clearly, the detrimental consequences overwhelmingly outweigh any
benefits; however, many peer-reviewed articles and studies do choose to address both sides of
the issue. An article from the Journal of Internal Medicine properly addresses these opposing
sides. Beginning with the risks, the article notes the increased probability of the development of
life-threatening diseases such as dementia and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver as well as breast
and colon cancer with high alcoholic intake (Gronbaek 2009). In addition to these long term
health conditions, alcohol is the root cause of many related conflicts such as risky sexual
behavior, car accidents, driving while intoxicated, sexual violence and abuse, rash decision
making and so on. Our textbook, “Nutrition Concepts and Controversies” also contains pertinent
information and a detailed look at the effects of this depressant. Alcohol affects different bodily
functions as it metabolizes in the body. Starting with judgment and reasoning and moving to
speech and vision impairment on to losing control of voluntary muscle movement and finally
impairment of respiration and heart action (Sizer and Whitney 2011). All of these ways in which
alcohol affects the body can lead to the dangerous outcomes seen with binge drinking. Countless
consequences include deteriorating muscle, severe dehydration, suppressed testosterone in males,
inadequate nutrient intake, damaged and impaired function of the bladder, kidneys, pancreas,
prostrate, liver and immune system and an increase in probability of lifelong health issues such
as brain disease, dysfunctional central nervous system and likelihood of stroke (Sizer and
Whitney 2011). Both of these additional research sources emphasize the harm of alcohol on the
body, both short and long term, indicating the wide variety of effects and huge health
implications.
Like previously mentioned, there are some noted benefits of moderate drinking as
opposed to high and unhealthy intakes of alcohol. It is important for college students to be
educated on the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption. This is not to encourage drinking, but
to encourage recognition of the difference between moderation and binge drinking. In the article
from the Journal of Internal Medicine the author notes, consumption of 1-2 drinks a day has been
proven to prevent against a number of health issues such as gallstones, heart thrombosis,
cardiovascular system plaques and diabetes (Gronbaek 2009). This was interesting to learn since
everything else I had read up to this point was all negative. The article also notes a lower risk of
cardiovascular disease found in those who consume alcohol as it has the ability to raise HDL
levels. Specifically, the study found a 17% reduction in coronary heart disease in those who
consumed 30g of alcohol a day (Gronbaek 2009). I was extremely surprised at these statistics.
When looking at alcohol consumption in this way, it changes the perspective quite a bit. Being a
college student, we usually associate alcohol with binge drinking and heavy consumption in
short time spans. Seeing that there are ways to create moderation and balance when drinking and
possibly see health benefits is reassuring. This is useful information for us, as college students.
Understanding that moderation is the key will allow us to truly develop and mature beyond the
days of binge drinking.
Sizer and Whitney also recognized some benefits, however being sure to emphasize the
specificity of them. In their controversy, the authors’ address that benefits of alcohol are likely to
only influence the middle-aged population and a lower mortality rate in moderate drinkers
proves only true for this population as well. They address wine consumption which is a common
‘justifiable’ beverage as it is often associated with health benefits. Sizer and Whitney note that
there are indeed benefits such as high potassium and phytochemicals content, a reduced risk of
heart disease and colon cancer and a lower decline of mental functioning with aging. Although
these positive aspects are recognized, every single one has a rebuttal. In the end, the benefits do
not prove to be substantial enough to promote the intake of wine or other alcoholic beverages.
When assigned this topic, I had mixed feelings. At first, I was bummed that we did not
get a more controversial topic. Obviously there are certain points of this argument that can justify
benefits of alcohol consumption; however, in my opinion the risks will always outweigh those
benefits. I learned a lot about the process of alcohol entering the body and the specific effects as
well. For example, the effect of alcohol on appetite and nutrition is vital and can heavily impact
active college students like myself, hindering the ability to perform the next day and following
days after a night of drinking. Many college students, myself included, say we are aware of the
harmful effects of alcohol when i reality, many are not truly educated. Things like breast cancer
in young women, liver and heart disease or a deadly car accident are irreversible and common
consequences of consumption. Although I may be an average college student who enjoys the
weekends too much sometimes, I still do not see any benefits to my health from drinking. I have
come to understand more clearly that the bodily impacts prove to be a far greater concern than
any minute benefit from a glass of wine with dinner. Even though Gronbaek recognized some
healthful perks from a drink or two, I still believe that the opposing side of this argument, those
in favor of the benefits of alcohol, will never truly win. The statistics proving the high
percentage of underage binge drinkers, death and disease rates, accidents involving alcohol,
teenage addictions, sexual violence and abuse, disease development and deterioration of vital
bodily functions will always be substantial evidence to support that alcohol benefits do not
compare to the high risks that arise. Moderation in consumption is vital and until the general
public can grasp the concept of moderation, the risks will continue to outweigh the benefits.
References
Grønbæk, M. M. (2009). The positive and negative health effects of alcohol- and the public
health implications. Journal Of Internal Medicine,265(4), 407-420. doi:10.1111/j.13652796.2009.02082
Sizer and Whitney (2011). Alcohol and Nutrition: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks? Nutrition
Concepts and Controversies. 95-105.