El Podcast

E141: Alcohol Is Good for You – And Science Backs It

Episode Summary

Tony Edwards, medical research journalist & author of The Good News About Booze, argues that moderate alcohol consumption—especially wine—offers significant health benefits supported by scientific studies. He discusses how public health authorities have exaggerated the risks, ignoring evidence in favor of a fear-driven, puritanical narrative.

Episode Notes

Tony Edwards, author of The Good News About Booze, argues that moderate alcohol consumption—especially wine—offers significant health benefits that public health authorities deliberately downplay.

Guest Bio:
Tony Edwards is a medical research journalist and author of The Good News About Booze and The Very Good News About Wine. A self-described "research nerd," he draws from hundreds of peer-reviewed studies to argue that moderate alcohol consumption—especially red wine—has significant health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease, dementia, and arthritis.

Topics Discussed:

• The “J-curve” relationship between alcohol and health outcomes
• WHO’s anti-alcohol messaging and comparisons to tobacco
• Obesity, processed food, and deflection from real public health issues
• Alcohol’s impact on the liver, heart, cholesterol, and weight
• Wine vs. beer vs. spirits: What’s healthiest?
• Alcohol and the microbiome (“second brain”)
• Historical and social roots of alcohol demonization
• Alcohol’s role in aging, community, and social bonding
• Publishing censorship around “positive” alcohol science

Main Points:

• Moderate drinking is associated with better health outcomes than abstaining, especially regarding cardiovascular disease, dementia, and longevity.
• Health authorities suppress or ignore nuanced evidence, promoting a binary “alcohol is poison” message similar to tobacco fear campaigns.
• Red wine is particularly beneficial due to its high polyphenol content and synergistic effects with alcohol.
• Social drinking strengthens community bonds and psychological well-being through endorphin activation and routine social rituals.
• The real health threats—processed foods, pharmaceutical overuse, and poor lifestyle habits—are often overshadowed by anti-alcohol messaging.

3 Best Quotes:

• “Alcohol is actually good for your health—up to a certain level. It’s a paradoxical substance.”
• “You will die five years earlier if you drink nothing but water compared to people who drink wine.”
• “They won’t tell you the truth because they think people are too stupid to understand that a little of something is good for you—and a lot is not.”