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by Louisa Kasdon |
December 11, 2008
The 15th Annual Oldways Conference on the
Mediterranean Diet was notable for several things, among them the
report given by the eminent Boston scientist and professor Curtis
Ellison of Boston University School of Medicine. (Ellison first coined
the phrase “The French Paradox,” shorthand for why the French can
gleefully eat and drink all the things we know are full-fat and
therefore unhealthy — foie gras, runny cheeses, gallons of red wine —
and still be leaner and sexier than we are.) The first fascinating
tidbit is that sobriety is actually bad for you. Ellison’s recent
research shows that those who don’t drink on a daily basis — be it
wine, vodka, or beer — actually have a higher risk of heart disease
than those who imbibe regularly, at the rate of several drinks a day.
The French, for example, get pickled daily, and it seems this keeps
their blood alcohol at an almost constant rate. Good news for you if
you like to drink and worry about your health. The scientific
explanation was lost on me, but here’s what I retained: drinking just
enough alcohol to stay perpetually mildly drunk — at least two glasses
of wine, etc., daily — combats the negative consequences of high
amounts of animal fat in your diet and keeps your arteries free and
clear. Binge drinking doesn’t benefit you at all; it’s the daily dose
that works. But a word of caution: the cardiac protection tapers off at
five drinks a day. More than that and you’re in worse shape than those
who never drink at all. Ellison calls for “intelligent drinking” to
save your heart. Forget geese and turkey;
upcoming for Christmas is the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Many Italian
and seafood restaurants serve this traditional Italian Christmas Eve
meal. This year, Neptune Oyster and Sage (on December 17) are two of
the local venues offering the feast. Check in with your other
favorites. ...
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