Correlation does not imply causation

Submitted by Ali Baba (United States), Feb 28, 2013 at 01:48

Red wine in moderation may be good for you, but is it because of the ethanol or because of some other ingredient. In other words, simple red grape juice probably provides the same amount of cardio protection as red wine.

On other hand, perhaps there are confounding variables at play. Perhaps the low stress associated with a leisurely sip of red wine is the cause of reduced cardiovascular disease and not the alcohol itself.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".