How Moderate Alcohol Consumption Can Boost Your Health
For over 10,000 years, people have been enjoying fermented drinks which some think are unhealthy while others believe otherwise. Until today, there are still debates on whether or not alcohol is beneficial to our bodies.
The truth is, alcohol can be both harmful and healthy and the difference greatly depends on the quantity. According to studies, moderate alcohol consumption is good for you because it promotes a healthy heart and blood circulation.
On the other hand, too much alcohol can damage your vital organs like your heart and liver and it can also increase your chances of developing cancer.
How to Quantify Moderate Alcohol Consumption
Many studies claim that moderate alcohol consumption is good for you but it can be challenging to identify how much is a reasonable amount. On the other hand, some people say that the choice of beverage has a huge effect on cardiovascular health rather than the amount.
With all the different definitions of what moderate consumption is, we will look at the latest consensus and this will serve as our basis. The general agreement is about 1-2 drinks per day for men and not more than 1 drink for women. This definition is the one that is widely used in the US.
Possible Health Benefits of Moderate Alcohol Consumption
Moderate alcohol consumption health benefits include:
- Prevention of cardiovascular diseases
Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. Alcohol increases the level of high-density lipoprotein, a good cholesterol which helps protect against various heart diseases.
Drinking moderate amount of alcohol also makes you more sensitive to insulin. Thus, there is improvement in factors that affect blood clotting. This would result to the prevention of small clot formation so problems with artery blockage are significantly reduced.
- Adds a few years to your life
In addition, included in the moderate alcohol consumption health benefits is the increase in lifespan for both men and women, according to the research conducted by the Catholic University of Campobasso.
- Helps fight common colds
Drinking 8-14 glasses of wine in a week could result to 60% decline in the risk of developing common colds. This is because of the antioxidant content that the wine has.
- Lowers the risk for developing Gallstones
In a research conducted by the University of East Anglia, it was found that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with reduced risk of gallstones. It was reported that individuals who consume 2 glasses of alcohol per day have about 1/3 decline in their risk of developing gallstones.
Although there are numerous health benefits of moderately drinking alcohol, there are also some risks. Each of us has different personal and family histories so alcohol consumption may also have varying effects.
Your health care provider should be able to help you determine how to balance the risk and benefits of moderately drinking alcoholic beverages.
There is still no better substitute to living a healthy lifestyle by choosing healthy food and engaging in regular exercise. You can also include Organic and Kosher Certified PURE Açai Berry Pulp Puree Liquid in your regular diet because it is packed with vitamins and minerals.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to treat, diagnose, or cure any diseases.