GOOD for you or bad for you? Half-empty or half-full? Traditionally, the half-empty view that booze is bad for you has dominated. In recent times, the haze that hid the half-full view that booze could be good for you has lifted a little.
The French dropped the first hint: despite their penchant for tobacco, cheese, wine and the couch, they live longer and suffer only half as many heart attacks as the Americans. The key, it was found, was the French fondness for wine, which protects the heart against daily insults like fatty foods and inertia.
Further studies showed the benefits of alcohol when imbibed moderately. And in 1995, British health officials, raised the official "moderate drinking" definition by 30 per cent for men and 50 per cent for women. The US followed suit.
Does drinking in moderation help?
How much is moderate?
In layperson's terms, moderate consumption should be at the level where your risk of dying from all causes is at its lowest. Doctors say two or three 'drinks' per day is moderate. A Harvard study found people who averaged up to half-a-drink per day decreased their risk of heart attacks by only 1 per cent—the same as abstainers. From half to one drink per day, the risk decreased by 21 per cent; and from one to one-and-a-half drinks the risk decreased by 32 per cent.
However, more than four drinks per day increased the risk by 50 per cent.
Can women drink as much as men?
Women have about 10 per cent less blood and other fluids than men of the same size, as well as a higher percentage of body weight as fat (25 per cent versus 10 per cent). Since alcohol does not concentrate in fat, a woman drinking the same amount of alcohol as a man of the same weight will have a higher blood alcohol concentration. This means that moderate for women will be about 25 to 30 per cent less than for a man of the same size. Women also absorb more alcohol during menstruation and ovulation, and should therefore avoid drinking during their monthly periods.
Does alcohol enable better sex?
Yes, but only in the movies. Alcohol abuse by men has consequences that have not been widely publicised. It provokes the desire but takes away the performance. In addition, chronic male alcohol abusers: l develop shrinking of the testes; l lose pubic hair and develop breasts; l are frequently impotent; l lose the ability to produce sperm (deformed and otherwise).
Is all alcohol the same?
Some alcoholic beverages are absorbed more quickly than others which significantly affects how much, and how fast, alcohol makes it into your bloodstream.
Is beer healthier than whisky?
No. Because it is absorbed faster and when swigged in large pints on a starved stomach gives you a terrible hangover. It also has a lot more calories for the same volume. But they are the same with respect to health benefits. Here, wine is a sure winner. Wine, unlike beer and spirits like whisky and rum, is absorbed more slowly because of the significant concentrations of hundreds of organic compounds, which help delay absorption. Wines, especially red wines, have a compound called Resveraterol that protects the heart against cholesterol invasion.
Who shouldn't drink?
How old is old enough to drink?
Medical experts say there shouldn't be any problem for an 18 year old to imbibe a drink or two a day. The hitch is that most of the young take to alcohol for the wrong reasons—euphoria, depression, and bacchic pleasures. They drink immoderately and become physically and psychologically sick.
Should pregnant women drink?
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, which can cause behavioural and mental probelms, is a major risk for unborn children whose mothers drank during pregnancy. Some doctors believe that any alcohol puts the baby at risk, but little is known about how much. In light of insufficient evidence, physicians usually advise pregnant mothers to avoid drinking.
Is it good to mix drinks?
Ideally, no. For, you have no idea of how much you are imbibing. Whisky, rum or vodka shouldn't be mixed with beer or carbonated drinks as the high proportion
of sugar and CO2 boosts alcohol absorption. Mixing drinks and a tendency to drink outside mealtimes may greatly increase the risk of liver damage.
OK to drink on an empty tummy?
Yes, if you want a hangover. Sipping on an empty tank causes acidity, headaches. Eat both before and while drinking because food slows down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Cheers!
