Luckily, I am aware of some of the problems in medical research. At one time I was signing cheques for medical research in the millions of dollars. This was for research in Canada related to Multiple Sclerosis. If a responsible researcher had a valid study, they knew that the proposal would still have to be approved by rigorous review by an expert panel as well as being checked out against research, already being done around the world. I often sat in on these meetings, when president of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.
I mention this subject in the public interest. There was some research done recently that stated baldly that alcohol is not good for you. I assumed, at first, that they were saying that excessive use might be bad for you. Yes, excessive use of alcohol can even make you fall down. And when you fall down you can hurt yourself.
But, to my surprise, this research actually said that any or all booze was bad. It caused some rude words from my wife when I (jokingly) hesitated at opening the bar later that day. She wanted her Scotch and soda.
And we were not about to ban booze in our home because of just one study. I was always a fan of the studies that said a glass of wine was good for the stomach.
I remember one time talking to a lady who worked for a well-known Gin distiller. She was appalled when I said that I liked her gin for my summer glass of gin and tonic. She told me that her gin was the best and purest but that tonic was bad for me. She never did tell me what she thought about the slice of lime and ice cubes.
I was surprised when I found out that this recent study was based on 107 studies done over the last 40 years. It tended to debunk the theory that a couple glasses of wine a day was healthy. This one study has debunked them all. The problem is that there were far too many factors in daily living that influence our longevity. But, it is disappointing to report that instead of sitting at the computer writing these blogs, I should be out doing a daily five-kilo run. I should also be eating more green veggies. I think when you have lived to my age, I must be doing something right. I think it is possible I have chosen good doctors. Ones that don’t nag about your alcohol intake or eating your veggies.
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