Previously, it was thought better to feed babies wine rather than water!

 Seriously — that title is not click–bait. I will lead up to an explanation of it at the end of this post about some aspects of wine and health.

Humans have been interested in wine for several thousand years, because of the distinct effect that alcohol has on their bodies (see my recent post: The effects of alcohol on the human body). However, as with all bodily effects, we all know perfectly well that there are negative effects on those bodies as well as the desired ones. Nevertheless, what those negative and positive effects have been considered to be has changed over the centuries. Summaries of some of these ideas are the subject of this post.

A recent summary of some of the current ideas is provided by: The truth about booze: How alcohol really affects your body, from first flush of happiness to hangover hell. This title gives you the general idea about the good and the bad effects.

The extent to which the negative effects can appear is known to be affected by how much alcohol you normally consume — we build up a resistance, the more we regularly drink. A recent research summary (Holding your liquor: Comparison of alcohol-induced psychomotor impairment with and without Alcohol Use Disorder) says this:

Data from three cohorts were evaluated to examine the acute effects of alcohol on psychomotor performance in light drinkers (LD), heavy drinkers (HD), and individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD). In this sample of young adult drinkers, relative to the LD group, those with heavier drinking patterns (AUD and HD groups) showed greater behavioral tolerance to 0.8 g/kg alcohol, a dose typically associated with a binge drinking episode (peak BrAC = 0.09 g/dL), exhibited by reduced peak impairment and a quicker return to baseline performance on psychomotor measures.

One of the other major concerns about alcohol is summarized in: More evidence moderate drinking is good for your heart; also a reason. However, it has recently been mooted: Could the US be heading to two alcoholic drinks a week recommendation?

At one end of the age spectrum, it has been noted that: Older people do not know enough about the risks associated with drinking alcohol. This is summarized in a recent Scandinavian study:

A review on alcohol use among older adults, which is based on 51 research and development studies on the subject. When older people drink alcohol, it is usually wine. Alcohol is often associated with social engagement, gatherings and enjoyment of life in older people. However, several of the studies show that alcohol use can also be associated with difficulties such as social isolation, stress and illness, or life transitions such as retirement and bereavement. But for people in later life, alcohol use can be particularly challenging. The studies we reviewed show that older adults often don't recognize, or have a lack of knowledge about, the risks associated with drinking alcohol. Existing health challenges, as well as the risk of accidents and fall injuries, can be intensified when you drink. There are also a number of possible negative consequences for older people who combine drinking alcohol with the use of medicines.

Trust me: we older people can see no point to old age unless we can also do the things we want to do, including consumption of a glass or two of wine. On the other hand, we can't continue to pretend that we are still young, of course.

Anyway, this discussion so far has been about the current century. What about previous centuries? There are a number of articles about this topic as written in Medieval times, or the Middle Ages, such as: What was the best wine in the Middle Ages? These are of considerable interest.

So, at the other end of the age spectrum from us oldies, my favorite article is this one: Medieval advice to pregnant mothers: Don’t drink water, have wine instead:

This examines a mid-fifteenth century medical treatise that dealt with gynecology, obstetrics and child-rearing, written by Michele Savonarola, the court physician of the Este family, rulers of Ferrrara. Savonrola was not only interested in making sure that the babies would be healthy, but also would be male. He believed that women could play an important role in the health, temperament and even sex of their unborn children. The best way they could do this was in the foods they ate. Savonarola believed that the effects of food were even greater for unborn children, and developed a list of foods which should be eaten or avoided. Among the recommendations made by the Italian doctor was to eat bread made from wheat instead of bran, avoid fried fish, be moderate in how much fruit to eat, and drink dry, red wine. Savonarola writes: “Beware of using cold water, it is not good for the fetus and it causes the generation of girls, so keep drinking wine.”

So, there you have it. Modern generations worry (quite rightly) about various aspects of wine, but at least they no longer have to worry about its effect on the the sex of their unborn child. They do, however, still have to care about any subsequent use of alcohol to cope with parenthood (Understanding mothers’ alcohol use: Is it problematic to drink like a “wine-mom”?).