Life is a Cabernet?
Stars Action Research Programme:
Is Alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?” One of the most
debated issues in the world today. Quotes from Professor Roger
Williams, James H. Stein and many others prove the depth and
interest of the subject.
Surveys from Year 13 students, research papers and information
and pictures from a leading chateau in the Margaux region of
Bordeaux, France. Chateau Palmer!
Read this paper and discuss the issue!
By Charles Oliver
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2
Life is a Cabernet?
Introduction:
In this paper I am going to discuss one of the most debated
issues in the world today: “Is alcohol in moderation good or bad
for you?” ‘Why this title when alcohol is enjoyed by the majority of
the adult population and can even have benefits in coronary heart
disease? Asked Professor Roger Williams CBE. Not only is alcohol
proving to be a problem in adult society but is now causing
premature deaths from cirrhosis of the liver in younger age
groups.
Over the course of this paper I’m going to explain to you: the
benefits of drinking alcohol (the positive side), the disadvantages
of drinking alcohol (the negative or adverse side), the
methodology behind my report including details of a visit I made
to Chateau Palmer, the findings of my survey which I sent out to
Year 13 students at my school and then a conclusion followed by a
bibliography.
“Society, and particularly people of school and university
age, deserves better, and if France and Italy have more than halved
their alcohol consumption over the time it has doubled in the UK,
then so can we. The dangers of alcohol consumption need to be
given greater attention”
Director – The UCL Institute of Haplology
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2
Life is a Cabernet?
Methodology: Chateau Palmer
To enhance my knowledge of this subject and also further
my research, my father and I took a vacation down to the Medoc
region of France, near the town of Bordeaux. On the Thursday we
had a private tour around one, Chateau Palmer. Whilst there we
visited the refectory, the cellars and the Cuvier or vat house.
Special thanks must go to Charles Sichel for arranging such an
experience!
Château Palmer was placed very strategically with its
vineyards running down towards the banks of the River Gironde.
This is because in the past, not now, the river would burst its
banks and cover the soil in a layer of silt, which was full of natural
vitamins and minerals.
The soil quality at the chateau is rather poor, which means
that to find all the goodness they need, the vine roots must go
deeper and be stronger to produce a better tasting wine.
In 2005, Bordeaux experienced a drought and there was just
400mm of precipitation in the 12 months preceding the harvest –
as compared with 925mm in a normal year. To quote from an
official Palmer vintage record sheet:
“In order to find nourishment,
the vines had to rely on the
furthest expanses of their root
system. Although drastically reduced,
water supply was sufficient to ensure
the proper development of the
leaf canopy and ripe grapes”
After fermentation and the first few months of barrel ageing,
it was clear that Palmer’s superb terroir and winemaking expertise
was able to adapt to the vintage’s exceptional weather. 2005 will
surly be a bench mark for Chateau Palmer.
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2
Life is a Cabernet?
Is Chateau Palmer’s superb ’96 and ’05 vintage good or bad
for you, as this will link in to my question. The chateau’s wine is
red not white and as James H. Stein says “Purple grape juice is an
excellent source of flavanoids which comes from grape skin and
seeds”. His paper also states that:
“Although it’s true that moderate
alcohol levels can raise levels of
HDL or good cholesterol and make
blood less likely to clot, most of
the protective effects are related to
drinking red wine rather than beer
Or spirits”
Palmer has recently invested in some brand new stainless
steel vats and computer equipment which can monitor and or
change the temperature in every vat, the curvier, the refectory and
the cellars. This was all installed to make the wine taste better, but,
there is obviously no health problems related to this. If anything
this would make the wine better for you as you do not have any
uncontrollable aspect seeping in!
Despite not being classified as one of the top wine producers
in the world, Palmer continues to produce wine that rivals and
sometimes beats the chateaus classified as ‘the best’. Just before
our departure, we were lucky enough to be able to taste some wine
and I must say it was gorgeous. You could taste all the grape types
and to prove it was good wine, we had the aftertaste for a long
time after!!
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2
Life is a Cabernet?
The Findings: Survey, Information, Costs and Income in the EU
and beer.
The findings during this part of the paper I’m going to
explain to you the costs and incomes of alcohol in the EU, beer and
its alcohol levels, my survey which I carried out on year 13
students, the effects of alcohol on the human body and the effects
of alcohol on the younger age groups.
Alcohol and the economy in Europe:
Europe is at the centre of the global alcohol market, acting as
a source of a quarter of the world’s alcohol and over half the
world’s wine production. Trade regarding alcohol in Europe is
even more centred on the EU, with 70% of alcohol imports and just
under half the world’s imports involving the EU. Although this
trade is between EU countries it still contributes about €9 million
to the EU as a whole.
It is hard to estimate the amount of smuggling in the EU,
although the EHLGF (European High Level Group on Fraud)
estimated that €1.5 billion was lost to alcohol in 1996. At least 1 in
6 tourists return from trips abroad with alcoholic drinks, carrying
an average of 2 litres of alcohol per person. Prices therefore play a
more active role in-cross border shopping.
The economic role of the alcoholic drinks trade is
considerable in many European countries. Alcohol excess duties
in the EU’s fifteen countries amounted to €25 billion in 2001,
excluding sales and other taxes. €1.5 billion is however given back
to the supply chain. Due to the demand for alcohol the average
tax rates are a much better predictor of a government’s tax revenue
than the level of consumption in a country.
Alcohol is also closely linked with vast number of jobs
including over three-quarters of a million in drinks production
(mainly wine). There are also jobs in pubs and bars.
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2
Life is a Cabernet?
Recently the total substantial costs of alcohol to the EU were
estimated to be €125 billion, roughly equivalent to the amount for
tobacco. However, the intangible costs show the value that people
place on pain, suffering and loss of life due to the social, criminal
and health harms caused by alcohol. In 2003 these were estimated
at €270 billion, other estimates came in at €150 billion to €760
billion. According to the figures I have obtained above, the EU is
currently making a loss on alcohol!
The Use of Alcohol in Europe
The EU is the heaviest drinking region in the world,
although the 11 litres of alcohol drunk by each adult per year is
still a substantial fall of 15 litres in the mid-1970’s. Most
Europeans drink alcohol but 55 million abstain; taking this into
account, the consumption per drinker reaches 15 litres per annum.
Just under half the amount of alcohol consumed is beer
(44%), with the rest divided between wine (34%) and spirits (23%).
Within the EU 15 northern and central parts drink mainly beer,
while those in southern Europe drink mainly wine. Drinking in
excess varies across Europe, with fewer southern Europeans
reporting getting drunk each month.
While 266 million adults drink alcohol equating to 20g
women or 40g men per day, over 50 million adults (15%) consume
above this level. We can estimate that 23 million Europeans (5% of
men and 1% of women) are dependent upon alcohol in any one
year.
In every culture studied, men are more likely to drink more
often than women and to drink a lot more when they do. Although
many women give up alcohol when pregnant, a significant
number (25-50%) continue to drink, and some continue to drink to
harmful levels.
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2
Life is a Cabernet?
Nearly all 15-16 year old students (>90%) have drunk alcohol
at some point in their life, on average beginning to drink at 12.5
years of age, and getting drunk for the first time at 14 years.
The average amount drunk on a single occasion by 15 to 16 years is
over 60g of alcohol, and reaches nearly 40g in the south of Europe.
Over one in eight (13%) of 15 to 16 year olds have been drunk
more than twenty times in their life, and more than one in six
(18%) have ‘binged’ (in excess of five drinks on a single occasion)
three or more times in the last month.
Although two countries saw more drunkenness on some
measures in girls than boys for the first time in 2003, boys continue
to drink more and get drunk more often than girls. Most countries
show a rise in binge drinking from 1995/9 to 2003, and nearly all
countries show this for girls. Behind this overall trend, we can see
a rise in binge drinking and drunkenness across the EU, followed
by a much more upward trend since 1993 to 2003.
The Impact of Alcohol on the Individual
Although alcohol brings a number of pleasures, alcohol
increases the risk of a higher range of social risks (the higher the
alcohol consumption the greater the risk). Injuries done by
someone else’s drinking range from social nuisances such as being
kept awake at night through to more serious offences such as
marital harm, child abuse, crime, violence and homicide.
Apart from being a drug of dependence, alcohol is the cause
of some sixty different types of diseases and conditions including
injuries, mental and behavioural disorders, gastrointestinal
conditions, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, liver
diseases, skeletal and muscular diseases and reproductive
disorders and so forth. However, a small dose of alcohol
consumption reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, although
the exact size of the decrease in risk and the level of alcohol
consumption at which the greatest level of reduction occurs is still
being debated.
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2
Life is a Cabernet?
It is alcohol mainly which reduces the risk of coronary heart
disease rather than any specific beverage type. There is evidence
that alcohol in low doses might lower the risk of vascular caused
dementia, gall stones and diabetes.
There are health benefits for the heavy drinker from
reducing or stopping alcohol consumption. Even chronic diseases,
such as liver cirrhosis and depression rapidly improve.
The Impact of Alcohol on Europe
Alcohol is the third highest of twenty-six risk factors of ill
health in the EU, ahead of overweight/obesity and behind only
tobacco in high blood pressure. The cost of treating this ill-health
is estimated to be €17 billion, together with €5 billion spent on
treatment and prevention of alcohol dependents. Lost life can
either be valued as lost production potential (€36 billion) or in
terms of life itself (€145-€712 billion).
Young people shoulder a disproportionate amount of this
burden, with over 10% of youth female fatality and around 25% of
youth male fatality being due to alcohol. Little information exists
on the extent of social harm in young people although 6% of 15-16
year old students report fights and 4% report unprotected sex due
to their own drinking.
Conclusion on the Incomes, Costs and Impact of Alcohol
in the EU
The EU have managed to place a value on all the bad aspects
of alcohol but how can one place a value on the countless millions
of citizens who enjoy a nice glass of wine or beer in moderation?
Source: EU Health Advisory Commission
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2
Life is a Cabernet?
Beer
Scientific evidence shows that beer is good for you in
moderation. Beer has no cholesterol or fat and in comparison with
milk considerably less sodium and more fibre – all of which
reduce the risk of heart disease. Also, a glass of beer each day cuts
the risk of kidney stones and contains substances that can fight
cancers.
Beer is also an important source of silicon and this increases
bone strength and diminishes the risk of bone decay and
osteoporosis. Excessive consumption is however damaging to
your heart and health.
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2
Life is a Cabernet?
Survey – Year 13 Students 17-18 years of age. We
canvassed 100 students and obtained a response from 61
Area of investigation:
Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?
(Moderation is the advised number of units by doctors,
21 for males and 18 for females in a week.)
Thank you for agreeing to help me in my survey it would be much appreciated if you
could just simply complete the questions and some details about yourself and return to
me via Ben Miller, Amy Churchill or Nathaniel McMeekin.
Age:
Gender:
1. How many units of alcohol do you drink in a week:
1 glass of wine = 1 unit.
1 pint = 2.5 units
1 shot of a spirit = 5 units.
(0-3) (4-7) (8-9) (10+)
2. How many units of wine do you drink in a week?
(0-3)
(4-7)
(8-9)
(10+)
3. Do you think wine is good for you in moderation?
(Yes)
(No)
4. How many units of wine would you limit yourself to for it to still be healthy?
(0-3)
(4-7)
(8-9)
(10+)
5. Do you think the advised number of alcohol units is correct to remain
healthy?
(Agree)
(Don’t Know)
(Disagree)
6. Do you think that red wine is better for you than white wine?
(Yes)
(No)
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2
Life is a Cabernet?
Question 1:
Amount of people
How many units of alcohol do you drink in an average
week?
30
20
Series1
10
0
(0-3)
(4-7)
(8-9)
(10+)
No of units
Question 2:
Amount of people
How many units of wine do you drink in a week?
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Series1
(0-3)
(4-7)
(8-9)
(10+)
No of units
Question 3:
Amount of people
Do you think wine is good for you in moderation?
50
40
30
Series1
20
10
0
YES
NO
Answ er
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2
Life is a Cabernet?
Question 4:
Amount of people
How many units of wine would you limit yourself to for it
to still be healthy?
50
40
30
20
10
0
Series1
(0-3)
(4-7)
(8-9)
(10+)
No of units
Question 5:
Number of people
Do you think the advised number of units is correct to
remain healthy?
30
20
Series1
10
0
Agree
Don't Know
Disagree
Answ er
Question 6:
Number of people
Do you think red wine is better for you than white wine?
50
40
30
Series1
20
10
0
YES
NO
Answ er
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2
Life is a Cabernet?
I devised this survey to find out what younger people’s
attitudes towards alcohol were. I decided to put this survey out to
only Year 13 students as they would be legally allowed to
purchase and drink alcohol in public places, and they would also,
hopefully, have the most mature attitude towards it anyway.
Drawing conclusion from my survey that males tend to
drink more often and more heavily when they do than females and
this would apply generally for all age groups, and these finding
were backed up by an EU survey on alcohol commissioned in
2005.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have found out that alcohol is good for you
in moderation. Also, through my survey and papers by Professors
I found out that males have more immature attitudes towards
alcohol.
Through visiting Chateau Palmer I discovered that red wine
is better for you than white wine and also from a paper by James
H Stein that is an excellent source of flavanoids including
quercetin and tannins, which help to inhibit blood clotting and
prevent LDL or bad cholesterol becoming oxidized into a form that
causes blockages in heart vessels, and improves the ability of
arteries to relax.
“In moderation, alcohol is good for you
but being human, who knows what moderation is?”
“A decent man who could not beat his demons”
Charles Kennedy
Former leader of the Liberal Democrats
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2
Life is a Cabernet?
References and thanks
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Charles Sichel of Château Palmer
The UCL Institute of Heptology
Professor Roger Williams
Professor James H Stein
Alcoholics Anonymous
EU Health Advisory Commission
Pro Quest
Belfast Telegraph – “What drinking does to your Body”
Jeremy Laurance, The Independent – “Life’s better on a
Bottle”
 The Times – Life is a Cabernet
 Science Direct
 UK Department of Health
“Is alcohol in moderation good or bad for you?”
Stars Action Research Programme
Charles Oliver, 9EA2