Back to gallstones....What might be the effects of red wine?

[Guest guest]

The reason I ask is that I was off alcohol completely for over 5 years (due to a

religious committment, not because of any problems with it) and it was near

the end of that 5 years that I started having the gallstone-mediated attacks. I

had lived my entire 58 years of life prior to this without any known symptoms.

Was the prohibition a coincidental red herring or a contributing factor, I

wonder?

I read reference articles both PRO and CON on the effects of MODEST

alcohol consumption on the flow of bile. Most seem to think that a glass of red

wine, or a bit of beer is both helpful to the flow of bile and may reduce stress

a bit. I'd like to think that this is so. To do my own experiment, I've been

having a glass with dinner every night for several months. So far, so good.

It's obvious that excessive consumption, chronic abuse, even occasional

binge drinking wreaks havoc with the liver, but I have no idea what effect it

has upon the GB. I do know cholesterol will dissolve in alcohol-based

solvents. On the other hand, a lot of alcoholics die of cardio-vascular disease

probably because the drinking roughs up the arterial linings and the body lays

down protective cholesterol to protect it.

Anybody know the real truth?

Will in Minnepolis