RISKS AND BENEFITS OF DRINKING

Jeff Hansen

The confusion of drinking

It's safe to say that alcohol is both a tonic and a poison. The difference lies mostly in the dose.

What is a drinkOne drink is considered to be a 12oz. Beer, 5oz. Glass of wine or 1.5 oz. of spirits (hard liquor) .

Each will deliver between 12 to 14 grams of alcohol.

Benefits

Cancer - A naturally occurring antioxidant, xanthohumol, can assist your body in stopping the early stages of tumor growth.

Insomnia - A good night sleep is beneficial for energy level and mood.  The general affect of beer makes one drowsy.

Reduces General Heart Disease - Vitamin B6, found in beer,  prevents the build-up of homocysteine, an amino acid which has been linked to heart disease.  Higher levels of homocysteine in our bodies can make us more susceptible to vascular and heart diseases.

Risks

Cancer - Alcoholism has been linked to a higher risk of cancer of the esophagus, larynx, colon and the liver.

Cirrhosis of the liver - can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and death.

Malnutrition - Vitamin deficiency is due to an inability to absorb or a lack of various vitamins

Erectile Dysfunction (men) - common in men with alcohol problems

In Conclusion If you already drink alcohol or plan to begin, keep it

moderate—no more than two drinks a day for men or one drink a day for women. And make sure you get plenty of folate, at least 600 micrograms a day.

If you don't drink, there's no need to start. You can get similar benefits with exercise and healthier eating. If you are a man with no history of alcoholism who is at moderate to high risk for heart disease, a daily alcoholic drink could reduce that risk.

Moderate drinking might be especially beneficial if you have low HDL that just won't budge upward with diet and exercise.

Always remember the key to beneficial drinking is MODERATION.

Works Cited

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/alcohol-full-story/index.html

10 Awesome Benefits of Drinking Beer - Posted by admin in Health, Science on 09 29th, 2008

Problem Drinking and Alcoholism: Diagnosis and Treatment by MA Enoch, M.D., M.R.C.G.P. and D Goldman, M.D. (American Family Physician February 1, 2002, http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020201/441.html)

World Cancer Research Fund, American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective. Washington, D.C.: AICR, 2007.