Thursday, 30 May saw the baptism of the Brussels Beer and Society Information Center. The auspicious occasion was marked by an address by Professor Ivo De Leeuw (endocrinologist, Antwerp University Hospital) advocating the importance of a moderate alcohol consumption for elderly diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The Radio 1 current affairs programme “De Wandelgangen” featured the following conversation with Prof. De Leeuw.

Kristel Mariën (VRT): Drink a few beers a day, and you live longer and in better health than a total abstainer. Or so many recent scientific studies would have us understand. People who drink in moderation are less prone to diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease. That, at least, was what Professor Ivo De Leeuw told Filip Heymans.

Prof. De Leeuw: It has, thus far, been proven that, if you respect these limits, there is less risk of myocardial infarction and thrombosis of the main blood vessels and, perhaps, might even procure slight decrease of blood pressure. Many studies seem to corroborate this; scientific analysis would appear to support the case for the defence.

Filip Heymans (VRT): And yet alcohol is still commonly associated with all manner of disorders, such as cancer of the oesophagus, stomach cancer. Is there really no influence?
Prof. De Leeuw: Well, yes. But don’t forget. We’re talking about moderate alcohol consumption. The increased incidence of certain cancers such as, say, premature frequency of cerebral haemorrhages are clearly only evident when the subject has the habit of drinking to excess. This is frequently associated with social factors, as the phenomenon appear to be more prevalent among the lower social classes.

VRT: And what would you regard as moderate alcohol consumption? How much can a body drink and still be regarded as a moderate drinker?
Prof. De Leeuw: Well, I’d say you should never exceed 40 g alcohol per day. In layman’s terms, that means two, or perhaps three glasses of beer per day for a man. But a woman should drink less, because her liver simply can’t take it.

VRT: You said: well, about three glasses a day. Some people would call that borderline alcoholism. So, are there no negative psychological effects?
Prof. De Leeuw: OK, it’s true. We consider the negative psychological effects as a risk factor. But that seems to concern only a very small group of beer-drinkers, at least as far as concerns Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic. And, from all I’ve seen and heard, 94% of regular beer-drinkers do indeed keep within the limits.

VRT: You’re talking about beer-drinkers. Is there a difference between your preferred drink? It’s generally supposed that red wine is healthier than any other kind of alcohol.
Prof. De Leeuw: All that red wine stuff is based on sort-of weighty studies, inter alia in the big wine-growing countries such as - surprise, surprise - France, that would give us to understand that regular, daily, consumption of red wine has a beneficial effect as regards reduction of the risk of cardiovascular disease. Well, now we discover that the stuff responsible for those effects belong to a category referred to as anti-oxidants and flavonoids. Lo and behold! The same substances are present in other alcoholic beverages, such as beer. Speaking of beer, beer is even richer in certain of these substances. Thanks to the lovely hop.

VRT : Cardiovascular disease, which you were just talking about, has some kind of connection with obesity? And alcohol, well beer, is often blamed for expanding waistlines?
Prof. De Leeuw: Yes. It’s been shown that alcohol embarrasses the elimination of fat in the body. So if you eat more when drinking, you stack the fat. Fat will gather in the abdominal cavity, and happily spread wherever else it can. Hence the beer belly. Yet, the analyses show that the quantity and frequency of drinking makes all the difference. If you drink in moderation, you won’t grow a beer-gut or pile on the pounds. Better yet: recent Belgian research would seem to suggest that moderate consumption of beer helps women keep in shape. “Fine for the line”.

VRT : Conclusion: drinking does more good than harm?
Prof. De Leeuw: It’s not so either-or, you know. I mean,you wouldn’t tell a total abstainer to start drinking beer and wine, would you? There’s no single study that I know of that says, beyond any possible doubt, that you get healthier if you drink nothing at all or if you get, shall I say, overenthusiastic.

VRT – K. Mariën: Softly, softly says Professor De Leeuw. Anyone wishing to know more can visit our website www.bierengezondheid.be

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