Drinks with Benefits: The Surprising Health Benefits of Drinking Alcohol
As much as we don’t like to admit it, alcohol is a drug. And just like any other drug, it can have both positive and negative effects on your body. Drinking too much alcohol in one sitting can be harmful and is responsible for approximately 88,000 deaths each year in the United States alone. However, drinking in moderation — about one drink per day — can have a number of benefits to your health. Drinking alcohol has been shown to reduce your risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as lower your blood pressure and increase HDL cholesterol (the “good” kind) in your body.
What Exactly Is Moderation?
When looking at the health benefits of alcohol, it’s important to understand what moderation means. When it comes to alcohol, it’s best to drink within the recommended daily amounts. These daily amounts are different for men and women and depend on your age. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) suggests that men should consume no more than two drinks per day, and women should consume no more than one drink per day. Even one drink per day can help reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, but two or more drinks per day can actually increase your risk of heart disease. According to the Mayo Clinic, one drink a day is moderate drinking (Beer: 12 fluid ounces (355 milliliters) but, they go one to say, that there even risks to that much drinking.
Cardiovascular Benefits of Alcohol
Alcohol is known to have some pretty significant cardiovascular benefits as discussed on the WebMD website. It can help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Let’s take a look at how that happens: Blood Pressure – Alcohol has been found to be effective in lowering blood pressure in both healthy people and people with high blood pressure. This is likely because alcohol temporarily reduces blood pressure as well as the heartbeat. Cholesterol Levels – Moderate alcohol intake leads to an increase in “good” HDL cholesterol levels and a decrease in “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. This is especially true for red wine. Heart Attack – Moderate alcohol intake is associated with a reduced risk of heart attack. Stroke – Moderate alcohol intake is also associated with a reduced risk of stroke.
Diabetes and Alcohol Prevention
While moderate alcohol intake doesn’t prevent diabetes, it can be helpful in preventing it. Diabetes occurs when your body is unable to process carbohydrates, putting you at risk of heart disease and other diseases. Alcohol has been shown to lower blood glucose levels, which could reduce your risk of developing diabetes. Once you have diabetes, alcohol can actually increase your blood glucose levels. You should avoid drinking if you have diabetes — or you’re at high risk for diabetes.
Lowering Blood Pressure with Alcohol
According to Harvard’s School of Public Health, moderate drinking can help lower cholesterol but they also say to could be gene related and not everyone gets the same benefits from drinking.. Blood pressure is the amount of force your blood exerts on the walls of your arteries. It’s measured in two numbers: your systolic blood pressure (when your heart contracts) and diastolic blood pressure (when your heart is relaxed). For adults, the two numbers should be less than 120/80 mmHg. Making changes to your diet and exercise regimen can help lower your blood pressure, but moderate alcohol intake can also help. Alcohol has been shown to have a blood pressure-lowering effect.
Additional Benefit: Helping You Breathe Easier
If you have asthma, you know that it can make it hard to breathe. Alcohol could help you breathe easier by relaxing your airways. Alcohol relaxes muscles that are contracted in people with asthma, which could help them breathe easier. But, keep in mind that alcohol can also make it harder to breathe by causing you to breathe more shallowly.
The Bottom Line
Moderate alcohol intake is good for your heart and can help prevent diabetes. It can also help lower your blood pressure, which can reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Drinking one or two drinks per day can also help you breathe easier if you have asthma. However, drinking too much can harm your health. If you drink, keep in mind that alcohol has calories and can lead to weight gain. If you drink, make sure you’re getting enough nutrients from other parts of your diet to stay healthy.
The Benefits of Drinking Alcohol
There is no doubt that there is an argument on whether alcohol is good or bad for the health. The mainstream media has given liquors a bad reputation. We must remove this misconception from our minds. Liquors are only bad if you will abuse them (though 1 drink is abuse if you have a medical condition, are on incompatible medication, or are an alcoholic). Just like any other foods or drinks, once you over-consume them, bad things will happen.
Ancient Time
Alcohol has done a lot of good things in the ancient world. Faith healers used alcohol for treating health problems. They apply it as an antiseptic solution or take it orally. Nevertheless, it became really popular because of its ability to soothe symptoms. Aside from that, there are more things that alcohol can give. In this article, we will list down their benefits below.
For healthy weight control
Controlling weight might be hard for some. Since we have different metabolic rates, some might be slower while others are faster. The slower the metabolism is the more fats that will accumulate.
Since alcohol provides heat to our body, it melts down our body’s fats. This is beneficial for our cardiovascular health and our appearance.
For Cold Relief
Colds are very irritable to the feeling. It is usually present in the rainy and winter season. Red wines and brandy are the perfect liquors for relieving colds.
They usually give a warming feeling to our body. As a result, our nasal passages will be free from any blockage. This is perfect if you have frequent problems with allergic rhinitis.
For Better Sexual Performance
Erectile dysfunction is very common for men as they get older. However, the effects can be reversed with proper diet and unbelievably, alcohol.
Alcohol when consumed with the proper amounts can provide antioxidants. Those antioxidants will lower down the hormones that are responsible for the deterioration of the prostate’s health.
As a Memory Booster
Our memory needs some support because lots of its components suffer. As a result, our memory will mostly malfunction making us forgetful.
In wine, there is an enzyme that is essential in maintaining the cognitive functions of our brain. This can delay problems that are related to our memory as we age.
The Key to Longevity
We all want a long life. However, most of us have lifestyles that do not manifest our desire for long life. You might think that drinking alcohol might shorten your life more. But that is if you abuse it. The resveratrol found in wine can help with cell survival resulting in better overall health.
Some are Rich in Vitamins
Beer has lots of vitamins and minerals. They can help in regulating your bodily functions. Some of the vitamins present in beer are the following:
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Riboflavin
• Thiamin
• Vitamin B complex
Those vitamins are important if you want to have a healthy mind and body. Many have found significant improvement in their kidneys and bones after drinking moderate amounts of beer every other day.
It is suggested to drink beer in moderation several times every week to get those nutrients.
Can Solve Sore Throats
Many have proven that whiskey is quite effective in sore throats. The warm and strong sting that whiskey can give while you are drinking it can soothe the linings of your throat. You can also combine it with honey to get the maximum benefits of it.
Conclusion
Liquors have been around since ancient times. They are used for enjoyment and most importantly for improving our health.
As long as you do not abuse it, you’ll surely reap a lot of good things from it. Also, keep in mind that anything in excess will surely be bad for your health.