X-Message-Number: 20318
From: "Ben Best" <>
Subject: More crappy epidemiological studies about alcohol
Date: 16 Oct 2002 02:35:03 -0700

 > Message #20316
 > Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2002 21:43:34 -0700
 > Subject: Beer is better than wine
 >  From:  (Tim Freeman)
 >
 > This Yahoo story claims that beer drinking 
 > correlates  positively with dementia in old 
 > age, and wine drinking correlates negatively.
 > Correlation isn't causation, but in the absence 
 > of any better evidence it's prudent to prefer 
 > wine, since you don't want dementia.


>  
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=571&e=20&u=/nm/20021014/hl_nm/dementia_alcohol_dc

    Studies on alcoholic beverages are the lowest form
of epidemiology. A *scientific* study of alcoholic
beverage consumption and health would be randomized
(no differences between subject groups other than the 
beverages under study), double-blind (neither the subjects
nor the experimenters know which individuals are receiving
beer, wine or placebo -- nor which are light drinkers
or heavy drinkers), longitudinal (same individuals 
over time) and long-term (individuals designated 
non-drinkers, light drinkers, heavy drinkers, wine drinkers,
beer drinkers, etc do not change their drinking patterns
during the years of the study). I doubt that there will
ever be anything close to a scientific study of alcoholic 
beverages adhering to the above standard. 

    Instead of science we get these studies of self-reported
drinking habits that are absurdly loaded with proxy variables.
 Beer drinkers are known to be less educated
and of lower socio-economic status than wine drinkers. They also
smoke more and exercise less. If you want the antioxidants of
wine, drink grape juice or green tea -- there are lots of options
without having to drink alcohol. 

    An analysis of the faults of epidemiological
studies of alcoholic beverages and the health consequence
of consuming them can be found on my website:

     http://www.benbest.com/health/alcohol.html

           -- Ben Best
              Life Extensionist and Non-drinker

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