Is drinking in moderation good for your heart? Harvard Gazette

“The longer alcohol stays in the stomach, the more slowly do you need to wean off prozac it is absorbed and the more slowly it affects the body.” Nursing a glass of wine with a meal will be less of a shock to your system than drinking on an empty stomach. If you have a bad day or are feeling angry, don’t reach for a drink. Excessive alcohol use can harm people who drink and those around them. You and your community can take steps to improve everyone’s health and quality of life. Loose use of the terms “moderate” and “a drink” has fueled some of the ongoing debate about alcohol’s impact on health. Dr. Kling recommends that people going through menopause limit alcohol to one drink a day or less, in addition to eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.

The medication naltrexone (commonly sold under the brand names Revia, Depade, and Vivitrol) has been found to help people learn how to drink in moderation by blocking the pleasurable effects of alcohol. This reduces cravings for alcohol when used consistently (i.e., each and every time the person drinks). “Researchers emphasized that their findings show the benefits of moderate alcohol intake but stress that excessive alcohol intake can cause health problems,” according to a press release. Of course, health sun rocks thc experts have long cautioned against binge drinking, which roughly equates to consuming five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women in about two hours.

Many past studies did not consider other factors that could have influenced the results.

Alcohol use: Weighing risks and benefits

Be sure to ask your healthcare professional about what’s right for your health and safety. The definition of heavy drinking is based on a person’s sex. For women, more than three drinks on any day or more than seven drinks a week is heavy drinking.

If you don’t have insurance, you may still be able to get free or low-cost help for alcohol misuse. Find a health center near you and ask about alcohol misuse screening and counseling. alcohol intolerance after covid Planning ahead can help you manage situations when you might be tempted to drink too much.

The definition of moderate drinking is something of a balancing act. Moderate drinking sits at the point at which the health benefits of alcohol clearly outweigh the risks. It’s safe to say that alcohol is both a tonic and a poison.

1. Plan the non-alcoholic beverages you’ll order or make instead of alcoholic versions.
2. The Nutrition Source does not recommend or endorse any products.
3. Alcohol plays a prevalent role in many cultures, with many of us toasting to big life moments, enjoying happy hours with coworkers or friends, or simply indulging in a few drinks after a long, stressful day.
4. Researchers followed a small group of Spanish participants over the course of 12 years and found that those who who drank “low amounts of wine spread out over the week” but avoided binge drinking showed a 25% reduced risk of mortality.
5. Use these tips to talk with someone about cutting back or quitting drinking.

Drawbacks of Moderating Drinking

Though these findings are promising for those who already have a healthy relationship with alcohol, it’s also important to note that adopting overall healthy lifestyle habits is the surest way to protect your heart. Here are some of the most interesting ways drinking in moderation can benefit you, so long as you consume it safely and responsibly. This information on drinking in moderation was adapted from materials from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Talk with a doctor or nurse if you’re having a hard time cutting back on your drinking. If you keep a lot of alcohol around, you may be tempted to go over the drinking limit you set for yourself when you’re at home.

And the same goes for driving or if you need to be alert and able to react to changing situations. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans must cover alcohol misuse screening and counseling. Depending on your insurance plan, you may be able to get these services at no cost to you. Keep this list in your wallet, on your fridge, or in an app on your phone. Stay away from bars and other places that may make you want to drink.

Keep in mind that the size of the drink and the percent of alcohol makes a difference. For example, many beers are about 5% alcohol, but some have higher percentages of alcohol. And some beers are sold in bigger sizes than the standard 12 ounces. Limit milk/dairy (1-2 servings/day) and juice (1 small glass/day). Researchers thought if they could find key mechanism, science might someday unlock benefits minus harm that comes with alcohol.

You might feel improvements in your mental health, too.

In the United States, moderate drinking for healthy adults is different for men and women. It means on days when a person does drink, women do not have more than one drink and men do not have more than two drinks. Researchers followed a small group of Spanish participants over the course of 12 years and found that those who who drank “low amounts of wine spread out over the week” but avoided binge drinking showed a 25% reduced risk of mortality. It’s true that drinking to excess can lead to illness and disease, including several types of cancer, brain damage, and liver damage, and it can even shorten your life span.

The evidence for moderate alcohol use in healthy adults is still being studied. But good evidence shows that drinking high amounts of alcohol are clearly linked to health problems. However, a prospective study following almost 15,000 men at four-year periods found only an increased risk of minor weight gain with higher intakes of alcohol. [19] Compared to those who did not change their alcohol intake, those who increased their intake by 2 or more drinks a day gained a little more than a half-pound. It was noted that calorie intake (not from alcohol) tended to increase along with alcohol intake.

It affects levels of lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) and insulin in the blood, as well as inflammation and coagulation. In fact, alcohol can make sleep worse and menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats more pronounced. Consuming alcohol during menopause can also increase the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, says Dr. Jewel M. Kling, M.D., M.P.H., a physician with Mayo Clinic Women’s Health in Arizona. You could look at drinking alcohol like skydiving, Dr. Oesterle says.

Throughout the 10,000 or so years that humans have been drinking fermented beverages, they’ve also been arguing about their merits and demerits. The debate still simmers today, with a lively back-and-forth over whether alcohol is good for you or bad for you. The alcohol is still affecting their bodies, even if they do not immediately feel it, and they are still at higher risk of falls, cognitive impairment and other negative effects because they are drinking more.

Receive free access to exclusive content, a personalized homepage based on your interests, and a weekly newsletter with the topics of your choice. Alcohol can exacerbate hot flash symptoms, which occur because of disruption to the body’s thermoregulatory zone. Alcohol also interferes with this zone, making the hormone-driven changes worse. Additionally, alcohol can damage the nerves in the inner ear, affecting balance. This is a recipe for falls, which are typically much more traumatic in older adults and can even be deadly.

For men, heavy drinking means more than four drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks a week. If you’re able to maintain a healthy relationship with alcohol and not rely on it as a way to cope with stress, anxiety, or depression, you might find a healthy balance between moderate drinking and your mental health. Check in with your doctor to ensure that alcohol is playing a safe and responsible role in your lifestyle.