Happy Valentine’s Day From Absolute Advocacy
As we celebrate the day of love, we are continuing our series on Hearth Health and Alcohol, with a few tips and suggestions from the American Heart Association. Here 3 Not So Obvious Truths About Alcohol and Heart Health.
1. Is Red Wine Healthy? The Verdict Is Still Out.
Although studies have shown some health benefits, the American Heart Association strongly recommends a healthy lifestyle in lieu of alcohol for sustainable heart health benefits.
Here is the AHA’s response to whether there are any health benefits to drinking alcohol:
“Research is being done to find out what the apparent benefits of drinking wine or alcohol in some populations may be due to, including the role of antioxidants, an increase in HDL (“good”) cholesterol or anti-clotting properties. Clinical trials of other antioxidants such as vitamin E have not shown any cardio-protective effect. Also, even if they were protective, antioxidants can be obtained from many fruits and vegetables, including red grape juice or nonalcoholic red wine.
Researchers found that while both alcoholic and nonalcoholic red wine contain equal amounts of polyphenols – powerful antioxidants known to decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by easing blood flow to the heart and organs – the alcohol present in red wine weakens the polyphenols’ ability to lower blood pressure. So sip with caution. The AHA has published a study that shows nonalcoholic red wine delivers health benefits and recommends this as an alternative to alcohol. How alcohol or wine affects cardiovascular risk merits further research, but right now the American Heart Association does not recommend drinking alcoholic wine or any other form of alcohol to gain these potential benefits.
Source: American Heart Association
2. The Hard Truth About Drinking
According to the AHA, drinking too much alcohol puts our bodies and our hearts at risk of:
- Increased risk of dependency (alcoholism),
- Accidents and even suicide, and
- Heart disease, due to:
- Increased calorie intake, leading to weight gain
- Increased risk of developing diabetes
- Elevated triglycerides, or fats present in the bloodstream
- Increased risk of high blood pressure
- Excessive drinking and binge drinking can lead to stroke
- Increased risk of heart failure and other forms of cardiovascular disease
So how much is too much? Last week, we gave examples of how much alcohol is in common types of alcoholic beverages along with the CDC’s and AHA’s definition of drinking in moderation. Click here to read: National Heart Health Month Series: Are You Drinking To Much Alcohol?
3. The AHA Recommends Do Not Start Drinking? What?
We were somewhat surprised to see this recommendation from the American Heart Association:
Given these and other risks (see above), the American Heart Association cautions people NOT to start drinking…if they do not already drink alcohol. In addition to this recommendation, as we shared in last week’s article, the Association states that if you already drink alcohol to do so in moderation.
When we consider the AHA’s recommendations, this might be harsh reality for many of us since alcohol is a big part of many social activities. What do you think? Do you notice health benefits or health problems related to drinking alcohol?
Click here to Read More About Heart Health and Alcohol at the AHA’s website
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