On health. How to drink alcohol?

When can alcohol be part of a healthy lifestyle?

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According to the latest headlines, a glass of wine or beer per day shortens our life. So forget about drinks for the New Year. Although such conclusions are based only on one approach to the study of alcohol.

No one denies the fact that many people consume too much alcohol. The controversy is about another: is alcohol safe in small doses? To date, it has been proven that the risks and benefits strongly depend on the type of alcohol and the way it is consumed. But so far, studies do not take into account these factors, making conclusions about permissible norms of alcohol. Is it possible to drink it so that it is safe and, maybe, even useful?

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Data tend to affirmative answer. When you distribute evenly alcohol for a week, the risk of death of all the factors is lower than if you eat the same amount of alcohol a day or two a week. It is also important how you drink: the concentration of alcohol in the blood rises if you drink it in one gulp. In turn, when the concentration of the body processes alcohol so that the allocated harmful molecules - free radicals - which are harmful to the liver and increase the risk of developing cancer. Unfortunately, many alcohol studies are repelled by the total amount of alcohol consumed in a week, not paying attention to these nuances.

Poison is only a matter of dosage.

During the reception, binge eating and acts differently, as food slows down the digestion process in the stomach, thereby reducing the blood alcohol concentration. The lowest risk of cancer is observed when drinking alcohol in combination with the Mediterranean diet.

Basically, this is due to a large number of nutrients, which is characteristic of this diet - namely, vitamin B, reduces the carcinogenic effects of alcohol. Today, the idea that the influence of certain products on the body can be considered only in the context of a general diet and food culture is becoming increasingly popular. But this understanding sometimes disappears when it comes to alcohol.

It is often confirmed that a small amount of wine reduces the risk of early death, compared with a complete abandonment of it or the use of other types of alcohol. Together with food, wine contributes to a lower concentration of alcohol in the blood than with a glass on an empty stomach. While it is still unclear whether this advantage is associated wine - especially red - with a more leisurely way to use or it contains antioxidants (believe that they protect cells from damage).

Wine as medicine

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A number of experts are inclined to believe that in order to reduce the harm of alcohol abuse, it should be prohibited, like all drugs. On the other hand, alcohol reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases and, possibly, dementia. If you look from this point of view, it is better to take alcohol as a pharmaceutical medicine.

It would be strange to prescribe drugs without warning: every day you have to take a couple of pills - and not all in one gulp on Friday night. So any good will turn into terrible harm. The same cautions should be applied to alcohol.

Most nutrients, from fats to vitamins, have limitations, after which they become harmful to the body. These limitations are related to the body’s ability to recycle substances. Poison is only a matter of dosage.

Of course, some people, such as those with elevated levels of carcinogenic acetaldehyde, should not drink at all. Drinking in one gulp is also absolutely harmful. But for those who still want to drink, it is better to take alcohol during the meal (the best - the wine combined with a Mediterranean diet). We need to clearly distinguish between the abuse and the acceptable norm during the meal - so we will avoid confusion and allow the alcohol to take its rightful place in a healthy lifestyle.