Can Wine improve your HEALTH? find out now…
Tags: Alcoholic, Antioxidants, Blood Cell, Blood Pressure, Calcium, Cancer, Daily Consume, Food Source, Health Care, Health Problem, Heart Attack, illness, Immune System, Insulin, Medical, Muscle, Nutritionist, Organ, Overwhelming, Pandemic, Pregnant, sickness, Stroke, Supplement, Therapist, Toxin
Moderate alcohol consumption can indeed provide certain health benefits, particularly regarding heart disease. It decreases the risk of heart attack, ischemic stroke (the most common kind), and arterial blockages in the leg. However, heavy alcohol use is associated with high blood pressure, heart failure, liver and pancreatic disease, osteoporosis, birth defects, and injuries.
The answer isn’t as simple as sticking to moderate drinking. For some people, even moderate (and sometimes minimal) alcohol intake has been shown to increase the risk of haemorrhagic stroke, head and neck cancer, digestive tract cancers, and breast cancer. So, alcohol use has some benefits, but also some significant risks.
Women who are pregnant, women with a personal or strong family history of breast cancer, people with a previous haemorrhagic stroke, current liver or pancreatic disease, a precancerous condition of the digestive tract, and people with a history of alcoholism should avoid alcohol completely. Obviously, people who will be driving any vehicle or operating dangerous equipment should avoid alcohol, too.
Everyone else should use alcohol in moderation. Unfortunately, moderate intake is somewhat less than what most people think. One unit of alcohol is usually defined as a 150m1 glass of wine, 350m1 of beer or, 45m1 of 80-proof distilled spirits. The American Heart Association recommended in 2006 that “if alcoholic beverages are consumed, they should be limited to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.” Based on available data, the ideal intake of alcohol is likely to be even lower: half to one alcoholic drink daily.
