ALCOHOL...A BLESSING IN DISGUISE

Morning friends and welcome to a new week. This is a guest post by Dr. Prisca.

Discussing the benefits of alcohol can be really controversial for so many reasons, but I believe that since a good number of us enjoy drinking alcohol, before we gulp our next drink; we should as well know what that glass contains.

This content is meant for us to understand that behind all the well publicized health risks of alcohol, there are also benefits attached to its use ONLY when it is consumed MODERATELY.

MODERATION and RESPONSIBILITY are the key words.

I believe some of us are already asking what moderation is, according to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, "moderate consumption is defined as having up to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men".

From the definition above, 1 drink everyday for women will give a total of 7 for one week while 2 drinks everyday for men will give a total of 14, it is important to know that a man having 14 drinks during the weekend to make up for days lost during the weekdays is not the same as moderate drinking, it is known as binge drinking and it is accompanied by different health risks.

Binge drinking is defined as drinking 5 or  more alcoholic drinks on the same occasion on at least 1 day in the past 30 days, this is according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

 The health benefits of moderate consumption of alcohol include:

1. Alcohol has a protective effect on the heart.

 i. The American Heart Association has advised that there is no clear evidence that wine is more beneficial than other alcoholic drinks.

 ii. One glass of alcohol can significantly increase high density lipoprotein (HDL) known as good cholesterol levels this reduces the risk of having cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension.

2. Alcohol has a blood thinning effect, this is useful in preventing blood clots which is responsible for various conditions such as stroke.

3. Several studies has shown that alcohol increases body cells sensitivity to insulin thereby delaying onset of type 2 diabetes .read more

4. The nutritional value of the ingredients used to produce alcohol provide a rich source of vitamins especially the B vitamins (niacin, pyridoxine [vit. B6], riboflavin [vit. B2], folate [B9], B12).

5. Alcohol protects against gall stone and kidney stones formation, this effect has been attributed to the low calcium and high magnesium content in beer also due to the high water content in some alcoholic drinks.

6. Alcohol is produced by fermenting fruits, vegetables or cereals. These ingredients contain natural antioxidants, they reduce free radicals hereby protecting against cancer and reducing susceptibility to common cold.

7. Alcohol makes some people happy, this is totally psychological.

It is important to note that;

1.The consumption of alcohol should be avoided in pregnancy, before and during driving and when operating a machine.

2. It is advisable to avoid alcohol  when you are using medication.

3. It is better to take alcohol with or after meals than on an empty stomach. (trust me on this one, lol).

4. Women are more sensitive to alcohol than men so they are advised to drink less.

5. The health benefits discussed only apply to MODERATE consumption, as HEAVY drinking is a threat to good health.

This post is not meant to encourage people to take alcohol as a means of staying healthy but to create an awareness that moderate drinking for refreshment or pleasure has some benefits.

When the use of use of a thing is unknown abuse is inevitable.

Say no to drug abuse and stay healthy.

Love,

Prisca.

Courtesy prisschar.blogspot.com

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