Alcohol Risks: Is alcohol good for your health? To answer this question, we must take into account many factors: how much you drink, how and at what age. The response also varies according to organs of the body and the type of diseases that are of interest. The scientific conclusions are not the same for cardiovascular disease and cancer, for example. One thing is sure; alcohol can have beneficial effects under certain conditions. Consumption light to moderate: one drink a day for women, one to two for men. Older people, because their bodies metabolize alcohol more slowly, should also limit their intake to one drink a day— alcohol and Health: good and bad news.
Furthermore, the protective effect of alcohol does not affect young people. It occurs in men from quarantine, and in women from menopause, that is to say, when the risk of cardiovascular disease increases. The health benefits of moderate alcohol consumption are most evident in people aged 60 years and over.
Alcohol Risks
And to enjoy the benefits of alcohol, it is also spread its consumption. Drink seven glasses of wine during a single evening is not the same at all to consume one drink a night for a week. Moreover, drink during meals would be better for health than drinking on an empty stomach. If drinking a little is good, do drink a lot better? Not. Beyond the recommended limits, alcohol consumption increases the risk of many diseases: cardiovascular disease, many cancers, liver cirrhosis, etc. This is not to mention the risk of falls and accidents when driving while intoxicated.
- Good OR Bad?
A cold beer with an Indian curry, a glass of Malbec around the barbecue, or a fancy cocktail in a girls’ night. There is nothing wrong with a drink. Not like in the television series Mad Men where the characters drive drunk or make advances to married women. No, just have a drink. Appreciate that the alcohol added to a meal, conversation, or an exit to the outside. And there is evidence that alcohol has some health benefits. Moderate drinking may lower the risk of heart disease and stroke, and may also decrease the risk of osteoporosis and stroke, a significant advantage.
Unfortunately, alcohol also has its dark side
“If people want to consider alcohol as a drug and drink one drink per day or every other day, the effects will be positive. But few people stop there, says Jurgen Rehm, professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto and senior scientist at the Centre for Studies on addiction and mental health; He is also the author of more than 400 studies on the use and abuse of alcohol. Take the example of consumption equivalent to one drink or less per day, but obtained by counting one drink a day or two days and three or four drinks on Saturday. You may believe that it is a moderate consumption. Now it turns out that four drinks consumed, even once a week, represent a high level of consumption by scientific standards. For men, this level is about five glasses a day. In such cases, researchers spoke “of binge drinking,” but the term was confusing and used today the concept of “high consumption.”
Know your spending habits
Why is it important to know your habits? Researchers have bad news for drinkers weekend. A glass a day has health benefits and prevention of heart disease, but when habits have a higher consumption of days, these benefits fade. And all is not as simple. When research indicates that alcohol consumption is “associated with” the reduction of heart disease, stroke, and dementia, it does not mean that this decrease caused by alcohol. A critical 2010 study of 140,000 French demonstrates that the benefits of alcohol to health could be explained by the fact that healthy people of the middle and upper classes tend to consume moderately or one to three glasses a day, rather than abstinence or consuming high fashion. This population also has good eating habits, is to exercise regularly, and cultivates its social network, elements which all contribute to longevity. Moderation is part of their lifestyle and what are the benefits of this lifestyle, not just alcohol use, that allow these people to live longer in good health.
Alcohol Risks: More Follows
Parallel to this study, US research on 2000 people shows that, even if the benefits of alcohol consumption on health explained by the lifestyle of the middle class, moderate drinkers live longer than those who do not drink. Still, the role of alcohol is not established. And the author of the study warns against certain excesses: “Daily consumption exceeding two drinks exceeds recommended alcohol consumption guidelines and associated with a higher level of failure at higher risk problems caused by alcohol and cons-indication drug, says Charles Holahan, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin.”
Alcohol consumption does not always have positive effects on health. In 2009, research conducted in the UK on more than one million women showed that low or moderate consumption either one or two drinks a day might be the cause of 13% of breast cancers, liver, rectum, and the nose and throat. And for breast cancer only, it means “that each year in the UK, 5,000 women who get this cancer would not have had if they had not been drinking, said Naomi Allen, an epidemiologist the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University. But because alcohol is the leading cause of disease, as is smoking for lung cancer, we are not inclined to establish this relationship. Alcohol contributes to causing more than 130 diseases, but to a level where it is impossible to determine a direct cause in all cases. According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Canada, as in most industrialized countries, alcohol remains the third most crucial factor death, illness, and disability, behind tobacco and high blood pressure. And according to research by The Lancet in 2010, alcohol is more dangerous than heroin, crack, and methamphetamine when considering the health, social effects of alcohol and harm the drinker can cause to others.
vivigeek.com offers a tour of the question. Warning: there will be no question here of alcohol, which is an issue and a health issue in itself.
Alcohol Risks: Cardiovascular illnesses
“Red wine protects heart health and blood vessels. “This magic formula, we hear everywhere. It is a delight for lovers of fine dining. But is it true? Scientists have multiplied the studies to decide right from wrong. To see clearly, they looked separately at coronary heart disease and stroke (CVA).
Alcohol Risks: Coronary heart disease
Coronary artery disease caused by a narrowing of the heart arteries. The deposition of atheromatous plaques in blood vessels prevents blood from flowing freely. The heart does not receive enough oxygen to function normally, which can lead to angina or myocardial infarction. What do the research on it? Essentially, that regular consumption of mild to moderate alcohol provides partial protection against these diseases from the quarantine. The reasons behind this protective effect are complex. We know, for example, that alcohol increases levels of good cholesterol in the blood, which helps reduce the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Also, taking alcohol thins the blood in the hours after consumption, which facilitates the movement.
Interestingly it is the alcohol itself and not the other components of the beverage that would provide this protection. The red wine would not be more advantageous than white wine or beer. If low to moderate consumption of alcohol has a beneficial effect, excessive consumption, it has the opposite effect. With a glass or two a day, the risk curve descends. But beyond this limit, it skyrockets.
Alcohol Risks: The cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
Stroke caused by the interruption of blood flow to the brain, either because of a blood clot (ischemic stroke) or the rupture of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke). As in the case of coronary heart disease, excessive alcohol intake increases the risk of having a stroke. The beneficial effects of light to moderate consumption are less noticeable. Some reasonable studies consumption of alcohol has a protective effect against ischemic stroke since it would reduce the risk of the clot. However, it could increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, probably because of its brightening effect on the blood. Indeed, very liquid blood would spread quickly in the body.
And red wine?
The red wine he has a protective effect against cancer? We would like to believe it! Specific molecules contained in the skin of grapes, under the influence of fermentation, produce beneficial antioxidant properties. To date, however, their protective effect against cancer has not been proven. This research is still preliminary. Indeed, the consumption of large quantities of red wine can be seen as a source of protection against cancer. The risks far exceed the benefits.
Alcohol Risks: Cancer
If scientific findings suggest beneficial effects of moderate alcohol consumption on cardiovascular health, the news is not as good as regards cancer. To date, no protective effect was demonstrated. On the contrary, the links between alcohol consumption and certain types of cancer “mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus, breast, liver, and colorectal ” are proved, and even if one drinks with moderation.
Alcohol Risks: Mouth, throat, larynx, esophagus
Several studies have shown that alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing cancer of the mouth, throat, larynx, or esophagus. Direct contact between suspected alcohol “the ethanol molecules ” and the cells that line the body regions to involve. Indeed, alcohol damage or destroy some cells. A portion of the “successor” cells may contain the mutations that cause cancer. Also, some bacteria found in the mouth can break the alcohol molecules to form molecules of acetaldehyde. These can also damage or destroy the cells that line the upper part of the respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. According to research, more alcohol consumed, the higher the risk of suffering from one of these cancers is high. Consumption “floor” below which alcohol intake would pose no risk has not been demonstrated. Drinking alcohol during meals, however, seems preferable to fasting alcohol intake. Besides, the risks increase considerably when combining alcohol and smoking.
Alcohol Risks: breast
Through extensive epidemiological studies are beginning to shed light on the links between alcohol and breast cancer. Recent observations call for caution. Drinking alcohol, even moderate, substantially increase the risk. And more importantly, once past menopause. In the United States, the National Cancer Institute analyzed the medical records of more than 180,000 postmenopausal women. The results revealed in April 2008. The women who consumed an average of one or two drinks a day were 32% more likely to diagnose with breast cancer than those who did not drink. Women taking three or more drinks a day saw their risk increase of 51%. The type of alcohol consumed (wine, beer, or spirits) seemed to have no influence on the formation of the disease. Researchers believe that alcohol may act on the estrogen levels in the blood. However, the physiological mechanisms that link alcohol and breast cancer have not yet been fully elucidated.
Alcohol Risks: Colorectal cancer
Several studies have confirmed the relationship between alcohol consumption and colorectal cancer (colon or rectum). In the UK, for example, an analysis of 480,000 patient records found that drinking a pint of beer or a large glass of wine a day raised the risk by 10%. Although the association is established, it is not clear that only alcohol intake is sufficient to cause disease. Mixing alcohol with poor diet, physical inactivity, and smoking would be rather involved.
Alcohol Risks: Liver
Alcohol consumption is one of the main risk factors for liver cancer. drink excessively damage the tissue and may lead to cirrhosis. However, liver cancer is a common complication of cirrhosis.
Alcohol Risks: Cognitive functions
Drink too much to the proper functioning of the brain. Light to moderate consumption, however, could have a protective effect against cognitive decline “memory, concentration, etc. “specifically in the elderly. Further research needed to confirm these results. Excessive consumption, in turn, leads to serious cognitive problems that are well documented. In the long-term, it can lead to impaired memory, attention, or concentration.
Alcohol Risks: Type 2 diabetes
According to some scientific studies, regular use, mild to moderate alcohol may decrease from 33% to 56% risk of suffering from diabetes type 2. This disease occurs when the body is unable to regularly use the insulin to metabolize sugar, or blood glucose adequately. In most cases, type 2 diabetes occurs once past the age of 40 years. According to the researchers, alcohol make body cells more sensitive to insulin action, thus facilitating glucose metabolism. Note that in people whose alcohol consumption exceeds the threshold of moderate consumption, the researchers discovered that insulin resistance increased, as did the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
