In a series of articles against Islam wikislam tried to raise a doubt about Islam conceptions and rules. One of those articles is entitled “ Moderate Alcohol Consumption and its Health Benefits “.[1] In this article Wikislam demonstrated the benefits of drinking a moderate amount of wine according to some research which has been done recently. Those benefits are as follows: lower mortality rates, risk of heart disease and stroke. Also it lowers the risk of diabetes, higher brain trauma survival rates, the risk of suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, risk of osteoporosis (brittle bones)[2]
On mental health scale, wikislam mentioned that studies suggest moderate alcohol consumption could lower risk of suffering from depression and reduced feelings of depression among teenagers[3]
Wikislam concluded its article by asking the following two questions :” So why did Allah prohibit something that may be beneficial and which was an accepted norm among the religions before Islam? Furthermore, if the potential health risk of alcohol was the cause of the prohibition, why not also warn Muslims against the dangers of drinking milk?[4]
Before I answer Wikislam two questions I have to highlight some research results that has been done recently in the same field :
A scientific research conducted by researchers at Harvard University has found that ” One glass of wine a day increases risk of breast cancer by 15 per cent ”.[5] Furthermore, the same research has found that
“ Women who drank up to four units a day were 50 per cent more likely to develop breast cancer than those who did not drink at all ”.[6] The researchers added that “ the more women drank the higher their risk of breast cancer, and calculated that each 10g of alcohol per day was linked to a ten to 13 per cent increased risk of cancer ”.[7]
Another research found that “ Less than two drinks a day can increase the risk of developing cancer, doctors has warned, after finding that even moderate consumption was linked to almost a third of alcohol-related cancers”.[8] Prof Mark Bellis, director of the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University, says that : “There is no safe level of alcohol consumption in terms of cancer risk. Everyone should know if a substance carries that sort of risk.”[9]
On the other side, National Insitute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism” NIAAA” has found that there are risks that” might offset the benefits of moderate drinking. Research shows that adverse consequences may occur at relatively low levels of consumption”.[10] NIAAA talks in this article about the following risks:
Stroke : studies showed that moderate alcohol consumption increases risk of strokes caused by bleeding. [11]
Interactions with medications: ” Alcohol interact harmfully with more than 100 medications, including some sold over the counter”.[12]
Cancer: research has found that “moderate drinking may be weakly related to female breast cancer”.[13]
Birth defects: “ Several ongoing studies are exploring the fetal risks associated with low levels of alcohol consumption.”[14]
Death : a recent study has shown that alcohol is responsible for at one of 30 OF every cancer death that happened in the U S every year “ And even a drink a day increases your risk”.[15]
Decreasing New Brain Cells : Another study suggested that having a couple of glasses of wine each day is “a risky behavior that can decrease the making of adult brain cells by as much as 40 percent”.[16]
Conclusion: So , as we have seen , moderate consumption of wine is not completely safe . Bear in mind that the results of the research on its benefits is not conclusive AND DISAPPROVED BY THE RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH I MENTIONED ABOVE . That is why the all mighty Allah does not allow Muslims to drink even a small amount of wine as he knows it could harm people.
Furthermore, if you know , for example , that a certain type of drink could harm your children by one percent , would you give that drink to them . The almighty Allah is All knower. If he bans something that is because it is bad for us and its prohibition is in our own best interest. He says in the Quran that:” . Allah knoweth, ye know not.”[17] It means that the all mighty Allah knows everything but we do not. He says About wine” O ye who believe! Strong drink(wine) and games of chance and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan’s handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed.”[18]
Regarding Wikislam milk question, I have to point out three things .First, nothing in Quran orders Muslims to drink milk or not to drink it , it is up to each individual`s health condition. Therefore, if milk is a dangerous substance to somebody regarding his health condition he has not to drink it and vice versa . Second, there no consensus among scientists that milk could be a harmful substance to the human body.[19]Third, Why would Allah prohibited something while he left it at our discretion.
Finally , I hope my article give some help to my brothers “wikislam staff “ and others who do not know the real concepts of Islam and its simplicity . May Allah guide all mankind to the right path.(amen).
[1] See: the full article on : http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Moderate_Alcohol_Consumption_and_its_Health_Benefits
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] See: Rebecca Smith, the Telegraph, 02 Nov 2011 , Just one glass of wine a day linked to breast cancer , http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9171294/Just-one-glass-of-wine-a-day-linked-to-breast-cancer-research.html
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] See: Rebecca Smith, the Telegraph, 15 Feb 2013, Thousands of women die from breast cancer caused by drinking: research, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9870356/Thousands-of-women-die-from-breast-cancer-caused-by-drinking-research.html
[9] Ibid.
[10] Moderate Drinking , Alcohol Alert From NIAAA , http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/basics/l/blnaa16.htm
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid.
[15] – see: Katie Drummond, , Could Moderate Drinking Cause Cancer? February 17, 2013, http://news.menshealth.com/moderate-drinking-cancer/2013/02/17/
[16] – see: MARCO TORRES , Even Moderate Consumption of Wine or Alcohol May Decrease New Brain Cells
,Oct 25, 2012 , http://preventdisease.com/news/12/102512_Even-Moderate-Consumption-of-Wine-or-Alcohol-May-Decrease-New-Brain-Cells.shtml
[17] Translation of the holy Quran,2:216.
[18] A translation of the holy Quran 5:90.
[19] See: Alan Aragon, M.S, Is Milk Really Healthy for You? Learn the Facts, Is Milk Really Healthy for You? Learn the Facts,http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/dairy_products/index.php#ixzz2QuWDgMlN.
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