Health Check: does alcohol have medicinal properties?

Since the end of the Stone Age, people have consumed alcohol to make people feel more relaxed. Most of the time, it was for “remember their misery no more” (Proverbs 31:6-7). It is believed that alcohol has a variety of health benefits.

Many studies have shown that those who drink only a tiny amount of alcohol are less likely to be the victim of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers as compared to people who do not drink at all or drink just occasionally.

In a tiny amount – you should have no more than two or three drinks on most days for men and the equivalent for women, where blood-alcohol levels tend to rise when they drink the equivalent quantity.

Naturally, drinking moderately requires self-control and discipline. Therefore, it’s not surprising that they are also people who are less prone to health issues.

What is the best way to do it?

Yet, scientists have repeatedly attempted to determine the effects of drinking alcohol on the health of wellbeing and overall wellbeing.

Alcohol, for instance, can have beneficial impacts on HDL cholesterol. It is also referred to by the term “good cholesterol” because people with high levels of HDL cholesterol are less prone to the risk of developing heart disease or stroke.

But if that’s how alcohol functions, then why would different strategies that target the increase of HDL cholesterol prove to be all-encompassingly ineffective in stopping heart disease?

The majority of alcoholic beverages are also rich in antioxidants. 

Drinking a glass prior to or during the evening meal is typically considered the best way to enjoy a meal. This is largely due to this drinking pattern in social settings being more manageable and easier to get used to. It is also less than intoxicating when paired with food in the stomach.

Drinking when eating also slows the process of emptying the stomach. This could provide advantages for health because it restricts the flow of fats and sugars into the bloodstream and their subsequent load on the body.

Many alcoholic drinks also contain antioxidants, not just red wine. In reality, some beers, as well as ciders, have high amounts of antioxidants, and some are more easily absorbed or potent than the antioxidants found in wine.

But, again, the medical effects of taking a regular amount of antioxidants in one glass every day are not clear. Even when taken in huge dosages for supplements, there’s no evidence of benefits to health.

Does wine have a better taste than spirits or beer?

In a few head-to-head tests, red wine appears to be superior to spirits or beer when it comes to surrogate indicators of health, like the stiffness of arteries and oxidative stress.

If you consider the general health outcomes for moderate drinkers of wine, they seem to be similar to moderate beer drinkers or those who drink an alcoholic drink like Gin or Scotch every evening.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are healthy overall. One reason why wine receives all the praise is that the lifestyle elements that allow an occasional yet limited consumption are more common among people who drink wine.

Sure, beer has its advantages due to the fact that there is less alcohol in the can that you can consume even though the bottle of wine is still temptingly open. Light beers are also more efficient because the risk of drinking and abusing is less, as is the alcohol levels. They also have fewer calories yet retain the flavor along with flavonoids.

The slide downward

Suppose you think that drinking a glass or two might be beneficial for you. In that case, it’s very important to be sober and remember that drinking too much is the leading cause of premature death, especially in males and young adults, as well as, increasingly, among women. Drinking too much alcohol increases the world’s burden of illness in a larger way than smoking cigarettes.

One beer could easily turn into two.

Alcohol can hinder the function that the brain performs, particularly in the frontal part of the brain, where we process the actions we take. When the brain is tired, it loses some of its inhibitions. It’s why alcohol is tranquil and calming, as it takes away (thoughts from) our concerns. However, this can cause bad choices like dancing at tables, violence, or driver’s error.

Drink more alcohol, and other parts of the brain can also be affected, leading to a loss of balance, slurred speech, and blurred vision, among other signs that can be identified as drunk.

Heavy drinkers have more heart disease, hypertension, dementia, and [some cancers](https://theconversation.com/health-check-does-alcohol-cause-cancer-22959](especially breast and colon cancer). In fact, even occasional binge drinking can increase the risk of chronic illness.

In contrast to alcohol being toxic, These connections are more likely to be because of the traits of those who consume more alcohol (their mood and stress levels as well as their lifestyle, self-control, etc.,.) in comparison to those who drink moderately or who don’t drink at all.

Like food, alcohol ought to be a common pleasure. However, both require a certain amount of restraint. A small glass of wine can turn into a larger one, particularly in the case of a bottle that is already in the open. In some cases, it’s better to avoid drinking in the first place rather than take that slippery slope.

 

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