More benefits of moderate alcohol consumption

I don't know what time it is where you are right now, but as the song goes: it's five o'clock somewhere. So go ahead, have a beer! What better way to toast the good news of a new study that shows even more benefits of alcohol?

The research done at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine shows that those who have a few drinks now and then are less likely to suffer from the kinds of physical ailments that so often limit your independence later in life. 25 percent less likely, in fact.

But don't go crazy at the bar - remember, the key words are "light-to-moderate." In fact, the study also found that people who routinely cross that moderation line were actually MORE LIKELY to have physical limitations that can inhibit their independence as seniors. And so were teetotalers!

But it's nothing new that there's a plus to the moderate intake of alcohol. I've told you about lots of studies that prove the health plusses of responsible drinking. Often, this research focuses on the overall benefits of tipping a daily glass or two - things like an increased resistance to heart disease, certain cancers, and the like. There was even a study that concluded that a daily alcoholic drink may stave off age-related mental decline in women 70 and older.

Now that I've made you nice and thirsty, you're probably wondering what the exact definition of "light-to-moderate" is. This study defined it as less than 15 drinks a week - placing a maximum of five drinks per day for men, and four per day for women. One of the study co-authors explained that it's the daily consumption of at least one drink that helps to prompt alcohol's preventative benefits.

I think it's great that in this day and age where fun is being sucked out of nearly every aspect of our lives that researchers are seeking - and finding - the upsides to having a nice glass of wine, beer, or bourbon. This is the kind of research that must drive the health Nazis in this country up the wall. But the fact is, the evidence of all of these studies can't be ignored. Alcohol can be good for you. Just like coffee, another much- maligned beverage.

And to all those stuffed shirt naysayers, I'd encourage you to sit back, relax, and have a drink… it'll do you some good.

The flu vaccine fails… again

Here's more evidence in my ongoing case against vaccines. In New York, a recent spike in flu cases has been attributed to the fact that the major "A" strain of the flu has become resistant to the latest vaccine.

That's right: in spite of all the "get a shot before the flu season" campaigns of the late fall, it appears that current influenza strains are resistant to the leading flu drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir).

According to SUNY Downstate's dean of public health Dr. Pascal Imperato, "Influenza viruses tend to undergo frequent genetic change, so it's possible that whatever is causing the resistance might disappear over time in derivative influenza viruses." Of course, it's also possible that it won't disappear.

I'm always amazed at the pro-vaccine people's ability to discount the evidence that vaccines aren't necessary - and to blindly continue to encourage people to get more vaccinations.

Here's a perfect example: this same news story which talks about the failure of the Tamiflu vaccine ran in the Long Island, New York paper NEWSDAY with a sidebar under this headline: "AVOIDING THE FLU." Want to know the second point on this how-to list for dodging the flu? "Get vaccinated. It protects against circulating strains."

You just can't make this stuff up.