"Spending time together, eating, drinking wine, and exchanging stories has brought me much joy in recent years. Therefore, I do not intend to stop doing so." This is written by the German cancer and nutrition physician practicing in Switzerland Dr. Simon Feldhaus in an article in the British daily newspaper The Telegraph. The relationship of humans to alcohol is much more nuanced than the current, fear-driven portrayal. "A glass of wine that is consumed anxiously and for self-medication has a completely different physiological effect than the same glass of wine that is enjoyed with friends during a meal. The context changes the biology."

Feldhaus accuses modern medicine of often working with fears, for example, of certain foods. However, his decades of medical experience have taught him that of all emotions, fear is the most toxic for the body. "If alcohol were as harmful as claimed, France would have a particularly low life expectancy – but it does not. This is probably due to the healthier drinking culture. In France, wine is usually combined with food and enjoyed consciously." Therefore, Feldhaus advocates for "enjoyment with limits.".

Alcohol does not belong to the substances that burden the liver the most, writes Feldhaus. Many often prescribed medications such as blood pressure reducers, blood thinners, and sleeping pills may strain the liver more than moderate wine consumption. Moreover, alcohol is not foreign to the body. Even when digesting fresh fruits or fruit juices, our gut bacteria produce small amounts of alcohol. The crucial factor is the dose, but this applies to all substances: "Eight liters of water can be fatal, and even oxygen becomes toxic in the wrong concentration. Almost nothing in nature is harmless in unlimited quantities."

(al/ Image: Dr. Simon Feldhaus)

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