It has always been thought that alcohol causes people to put on weight because it contains a lot of sugar, but new research suggests a glass a day cold form part of a diet. Looking at past studies they found that, while heavy drinkers do put on weight; those who drink in moderation can actually lose weight.
A spokesman for the research team at Navarro University in Spain says, “Light to moderate alcohol intake, especially of wine, may be more likely to protect against, rather than promote, weight gain.” The International Scientific Forum on Alcohol research reviewed the findings and agreed with most of the conclusions, particularly that data do not clearly indicate if moderate drinking increases weight.
Boston University’s Dr. Harvey Finkel found that the biologic mechanisms(生物学机制) relating alcohol to changes in body weight are not properly understood. His team pointed out the strong protective effects of moderate drinking on the risk of getting conditions like diabetes(糖尿病), which relate to increasing obesity. Some studies suggest that even very obese people may be at lower risk of diabetes if they are moderate drinkers.
The group says alcohol provides calories that are quickly absorbed into the body and are not stored in fat, and that this process could explain the differences in its effects from those of other foods. They agree that future research should be directed towards assessing the roles of different types of alcoholic drinks, taking into consideration drinking patterns and including the past tendency of participants to gain weight.
For now there is little evidence that consuming small to moderate amounts of alcohol on a regular basis increases one’s risk of becoming obese. What’s more, a study three years ago suggested that resveratrol, a compound present in grapes and red wine destroys fat cells.
21. The passage is mainly for those_________
A. who produce wine B. who have a drinking habit
C. who go on a diet D. who are eager to lose weight
22. The underlined phrase“ in moderation” in the first paragraph means_________．
A. excitedly B. carefully C. frequently D. properly
23. What can we learn from the passage
A. Current data clearly show that moderate drinking increases weight.
B. Resveratrol is proved to increase the risk of becoming fat.
C. The research found moderate drinking has a strong protective effect.
D .The specific roles of different types of alcoholic drinks are very clear.
24. What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
A. How to do some easy experiments. B. How to reduce the calories contained in wine.
C. How to prove the finding mentioned above. D. How to make wine in a healthy way.