Alcoholic Beverage Consumption and Health

Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. Such beverages contain ethanol, a psychoactive drug that has a depressant effect. The relationship between alcohol consumption and health has been the subject of formal scientific research since at least 1926. Moderate alcohol use seems to offer some health benefits, particularly for the heart, but too much alcohol puts a person at risk of adverse health consequences. This book provides current research on alcohol and health. Included is the relationship between alcohol and coronary artery disease and the erosion potential of alcohol on teeth. Since it is generally accepted that about one-third of all cancers are related to dietary factors, this book reviews the modulating effects of red wine and beer on heterocyclic aromatic amines carcinogenesis and how to minimize the formation of these compounds. Research on ochratoxin, a compound found in wine, is also presented due to its importance on health.