Is drinking alcohol good for your health? Experts clearly warn that drinking alcohol is injurious to health. Let’s talk about what it does to the major parts of your body and aspects of your health.
Some studies suggest that red wine is good for certain health factors, while others suggest avoiding alcohol altogether. what is true let’s discuss it
For most people, the holidays mean either holiday cocktails, bubbly champagne, and red wine galore. Now, since many of us are starting to feel weak in our willpower in regards to Dry January, the question begs: Can alcohol ever be good for you? If possible then how? Have you become used to it?
There is no doubt that drinking alcohol carries risks. The government even issues statutory warnings for this. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US notes that alcohol consumption increases many health concerns including high blood pressure, cancer, car accidents, violence and more.
According to the latest guidelines from the US Department of Health, up to two drinks per day for men and up to one drink per day for women is considered safe. More alcohol than this can be harmful to health, no matter how good the quality. There is also some evidence that red wine may be good for your heart, and studies have also shown that moderate drinking Consumption is associated with longevity. You must have enjoyed reading this, but wait, the article is not over yet.
Can Alcohol Ever Be Good For You, Says The Expert? This question is a complicated one, so gird up your loins now – and be prepared to give up “half a bottle of wine” for a good night’s worth. Below, read our article on how alcohol can affect your heart, your weight, your liver and your cancer risk.
how alcohol affects your heart
First things first: Is alcohol good for your heart? The short answer to this question is that “this belief stems from the ‘French Paradox’, where observations from the 1990s showed that despite similar intakes of saturated fat intake, blood pressure and tobacco use in populations there The risk of dying from heart disease was lower.” The French consumed more red wine, and this suggested a possible link between wine and heart health. But “in reality, it’s not clear whether there is a direct causal link between the two.” The effect is relationship,” or if “other factors are involved such as reduced stress from a healthier lifestyle or more social interactions.”
How Alcohol Affects Your Weight
While the link between alcohol consumption and obesity is unclear, there are good reasons to think that alcohol may play a role:
This prevents your body from burning fat. It is high in kilojoules. This leads to more hunger and less satiety (the feeling of being full). This can cause craving for salty and greasy food. It is not clear whether alcohol consumption is a risk factor for weight gain. Drinking alcohol — especially in excessive amounts – has many other serious health risks beyond potential weight gain, including high blood pressure, high triglycerides, insulin resistance, heart disease, stroke, liver disease and some cancers. There is no safe level of alcohol during pregnancy.
How Alcohol Affects Your Liver
According to NHS Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) refers to liver damage caused by excess alcohol intake. There are several stages of severity and a range of associated symptoms. The liver breaks down most of the alcohol you drink so that it can be removed from the body. This process creates substances that are more harmful than alcohol. Large amounts of these substances can damage liver cells and cause serious liver disease. Alcohol causes 4 out of 5 deaths from liver disease.The liver is one of the most complex organs in the body.
Its functions include:
Filtering toxins from the blood
aiding digestion of food
Helping fight infection and disease
Regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels
The liver is very resilient and capable of regenerating itself. Each time your liver filters alcohol, some of the liver cells die.
There are 3 main stages of ARLD, although there’s often an overlap between each stage. These stages are explained here.
- Alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Cirrhosis
A unit of alcohol is equal to about half a pint of normal-strength lager or a pub measure (25ml) of spirits.
Even if you have been a heavy drinker for many years, reducing or stopping your alcohol intake will have important short-term and long-term benefits for your liver and overall health.
How Alcohol Affects Your Risk Of Cancer
If you drink alcohol, you are more likely to get cancer than if you don’t. But drinking alcohol doesn’t mean that you’ll definitely get cancer. Your exact risk will depend on lots of factors, including things you can’t change such as your age and genetics.
Even a small amount of alcohol can increase your risk, so the more you can cut down the more you can reduce your risk.
Drinking less alcohol has lots of other benefits too. You can reduce your risk of accidents, high blood pressure and liver disease by cutting back.
There are three main ways alcohol can cause cancer:
Damage to cells. When we drink alcohol, our bodies turn it into a chemical called acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde can cause damage to our cells and can also stop the cells from repairing this damage.
Changes to hormones. Alcohol can increase the levels of some hormones such as oestrogen and insulin. Hormones are chemical messengers and higher levels can make cells divide more often, which raises the chance that cancer cells will develop.
Changes to cells in the mouth and throat. Alcohol can make cells in the mouth and throat more likely to absorb harmful chemicals. This makes it easier for cancer-causing substances (like those found in cigarette smoke) to get into the cell and cause damage.
Besides increasing your chances of liver cancer, alcohol consumption raises your risk of developing other types of cancer, too.
Further, she said, alcohol can affect the absorption of important nutrients like B vitamins and vitamins C and E. “Low levels of many vitamins and antioxidants are associated with a higher risk of cancer,” “Alcohol can also raise levels of hormones like estrogen, which can increase breast cancer risk.”
So, do you need to give up alcohol altogether? If you’re generally healthy, you certainly don’t have to ― although you’d be hard-pressed to find a health expert who will suggest you drink alcohol to improve your health.
If you’re going to drink, research shows that taking a break from alcohol can be beneficial to your overall health. And it’s always important to consume alcohol in moderation, no matter what type of alcohol you’re drinking.
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