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July 20th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda FRIDAY, July 20 (HealthDay News) — Mirroring so much of life,
alcohol consumption comes with plusses and minuses.
A lot of recent research has highlighted the potentially beneficial
effects on the heart and other parts of the body of drinking wine and
other alcoholic beverages. But risks to health exist, too, as well as the
more well-known and potentially life-threatening effects of alcohol,
including drunken driving and addiction.
The Good
Alcohol consumption in moderation has been linked to a host of good
outcomes. Studies have suggested that drinking alcohol, wine in
particular, may reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, gallstone
formation, type 2 diabetes and dementia. It may also give your metabolism
a slight boost.
“Alcohol, especially red wine, has resveratrol and antioxidants and
bioflavonoids and polyphenols, and all of these wonderful things that
dilate the arteries and reduce inflammation,” said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum,
director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York
City, and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.
“Alcohol can definitely be part of a heart-healthy diet if you’re
drinking responsibly,” she said.
“Drinking responsibly,” though, might very well mean drinking less than
you think, another expert noted.
“Moderate alcohol consumption for women is up to one drink a day, and
for men it’s two drinks a day,” explained Elizabeth Kovacs, director of
the alcohol research program at Loyola University Medical Center in
Chicago. “One drink is 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or a 1.5 ounce
shot of liquor.”
Steinbaum pointed out that people should be especially careful when
ordering a glass or two of wine at a restaurant because they’re often far
larger than one serving size.
Kovacs added that “the benefits of alcohol are pretty restricted, and
it’s only beneficial if you drink at a low level, you don’t take certain
medications, you don’t have liver or pancreas disease and you’re not
pregnant.”
And, the experts agreed, none of the benefits of alcohol are reason
enough to start drinking.
“If you don’t already drink, don’t start drinking for its health
benefits,” Steinbaum said. “You can eat a heart-healthy diet, such as the
Mediterranean diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, and get a benefit,
too. You don’t have to have alcohol to protect your heart.”
The Bad
Though a small amount of alcohol can help the heart, more is not
better, Steinbaum stressed. Alcohol can raise the levels of triglyceride,
a harmful fat found in the blood, she said, and it can also lead to higher
blood pressure.
Some people also are prone to a condition called holiday heart
syndrome, which causes irregular heartbeats when they drink alcohol,
though some of them can drink a little without triggering the condition.
Steinbaum said she had one patient who knew he couldn’t have more than two
martinis or he would have an irregular heartbeat.
Excess alcohol consumption can also lead to weight gain, Steinbaum
noted, and alcohol can be detrimental to the kidneys and liver as well,
particularly for people taking certain medications, such as statins to
lower cholesterol or even over-the-counter acetaminophen (Tylenol) to
relieve pain.
In addition, recent studies have linked alcohol consumption to an
increased risk for certain cancers, asthma and allergies. Alcohol can also
be a problem for people who take blood sugar-lowering medications, such as
insulin, because it can cause blood sugar levels to drop unpredictably,
and to potentially dangerously low levels.
The Ugly
Some of the worst outcomes from alcohol consumption, however, include
abuse and addiction, binge drinking, drinking while pregnant, alcohol
poisoning, brain damage, increased violent behavior and driving under the
influence.
“Alcohol increases the chance of a motor vehicle accident, violence
against others, inadvertent violence against oneself, spread of sexually
transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancies, fetal alcohol spectrum
disorders and becoming dependent on alcohol,” Kovacs said.
She noted that alcohol plays a role in one-third of all car crashes
and, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
it’s a factor in two-thirds of the incidents of intimate-partner
violence.
“It’s important that people are informed about the effects of alcohol
on their body so they can be prepared to not drink, or to drink
responsibly,” said Kovacs. “The benefits of alcohol consumption are very
minimal compared to the risks.”
More information
The American Heart Association has more on the
cardiovascular effects of alcohol consumption.
To read about the risks that alcohol can pose to people with diabetes
click here.
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