French paradox

The French Paradox

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• published: 21 Apr 2015
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Presented on February 19, 1993 R. Curtis Ellison, M.D., chief of preventive medicine and epidemiology, Boston University "Reverence for food and drink is a French tradition, where leisurely meals are typical and often contain course after caloric course of high-fat food. And then there are the wines: Champagne, Bordeaux, Beaujolais . . . in France, wine is both the national industry and the national pasttime. So how do experts explain the fact that the French have lower rates of coronary disease—they consume less than half those in the United States, Great Britain and Canada--even as they consume a diet high in saturated fat, smoke more cigarettes than we do, and exercise comparatively less? They call it the French Paradox. In fact, while the French diet contains about as much fat as Northern Europe's, France's rate of heart disease is closer to Mediterranean countries, where the total fat consumption is much lower. And it's becoming clear to medical experts that wine may be the key. City Club speaker R. Curtis Ellison, M.D., has joined with colleagues in France, Great Britain and Canada to examine this phenomenon. Their research points to the regular and relatively moderate consumption of wine as one of the most important factors contributing to the French Paradox. Medical and clinical studies have shown that alcohol lowers the risk of coronary disease, and wine contains hundreds of organic compounds in addition to alcohol that experts believe may play a role in reducing that risk. Dr. Ellison, an international authority on heart disease and diet, has appeared on 60 Minutes as the lead spokesperson for the French Paradox. He is chief of the Evans Section of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology and professor of medicine and public health at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Ellison holds degrees from Davidson College, the Medical University of South Carolina, and Harvard School of Public Health. The City Club thanks the Good Samaritan Heart Institute and Women for WineSense, an organization dedicated to educating women about the responsible and moderate consumption of wine, for co-sponsoring this program. Dr. Ellison comes to the City Club during National Heart Month and immediately before the first annual National Wine Appreciation Week, February 21-27."