I got to Virginia Tech and my roommate and I are both in the fitness and nutrition major here. He’s a senior this year and is taking a class that uses the students for mini case studies.
Evidentially they (the students) were told to consume their normal diet, but include plant sterols in their diet to reduce cholesterol. They also were told to stop drinking alcohol.
Given that no college student will stop drinking for a class, the results showed that they altered their cholesterol quite a bit. The total cholesterol went up slightly, but the LDL lowered and the HDL shot up.
Of course I dont have the exact numbers and this isnt a controlled study, but it surprised me.
Is my roommate right in explaining that alcohol has been known to increase HDL?
My biggest question is, is something like this worth it in adding more alcohol to my diet (not much of a drinker, read on here that it cuts T levels in half).
How do the overall risks/benefits weigh out, assuming my short term goal is to bulk, but my long term is to live a little longer?
So you’re wondering about applying the results of a non peer reviewed, non controlled study in which none of the subjects complied with the guidelines to your own fitness regime? Why?
People that drink moderately probably live longer than people who do not. There are a lot of reasons why, the largest probably being that a few drinks here and there can help you relax and enjoy life, a major factor in longevity.
Most college kids who drink do not drink moderately.
My biggest question is, is something like this worth it in adding more alcohol to my diet
No, I wouldn’t say so. Keep it moderation as it sounds like you have been. I don’t see anything conclusive about this case study. It could have been the plant sterols that increased the HDL for all we know.