The latest results published by national and international medical research shows that in many cases, drinking moderate amounts of alcohol DOES decrease symptoms that can lead to heart disease including heart attack, stroke or vascular disease. In some cases, symptoms were reduced by up to 40%. Here are some of the studies that back up this research:
As you can see from these studies, there is a connection between moderate drinking and heart disease, where moderate drinking lowers risks and symptoms of cardiovascular and heart related health issues.
What Is Moderate Drinking?
In the United States, we follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which suggests no more than one drink (12 ounces or less) per day for women and no more than two drinks for men.
What the studies have found is that the frequency or how often you drink does matter. For instance, one drink per week does not have the same affect as drinking one drink per day. For the purposes of these reports, moderate drinking is defined as the consumption of alcohol on at least 3 or 4 days a week. And moderate drinkers have shown a lower risk for heart disease than heavy drinkers and even non drinkers.
Proceed With Caution, Your Results May Vary
Not everyone who participated in these studies have the same results. You will want to consult your doctor and be aware of your own body’s response to regular use of alcohol. In some cases, alcohol did not lead to heart disease, but it did cause cancer because of the way alcohol reacts to the body’s cells. The research suggests that because regular moderate use of alcohol blocks the production of folate in the body, which could explain how cells can be cancerous. However, what some people do is take folate supplements.
In fact the Nurses’ Health Study found that “women who consumed one alcoholic drink a day or more had the highest levels of this B vitamin in their blood and were 90% less likely to develop breast cancer than those who had the lowest levels of the B vitamin.”
This is why it is important to know your body. If you decide to enjoy regular use – meaning more than once or twice per week and more than one drink at a time – work with your doctor to find out if your body can handle this much alcohol over time. You owe it to yourself to be smart about your heart health.
Other Dangers of Alcohol
Even though alcohol has some positive health benefits for moderate drinkers, something good quickly becomes a bad thing if you over indulge. All of these studies suggest drinking no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. In CPR Hamilton can explain why drinking too much alcohol can cause all kinds of health issues including (and not limited to:
- Inflammation of the liver (alcoholic hepatitis)
- Liver scarring (cirrhosis)
- High blood pressure
- Damaged heart tissues (cardiomyopathy
- Mouth cancer
- Lymphoma
- Breast cancer
- Colon and rectum cancers in men
- Liver cancer and colorectal cancer in women
What’s more is the impact alcohol has on behavior and brain functions. Because alcohol has the same affect on the body as drugs, it is addictive and can lead to intoxication. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), heavy drinking is the cause of the following:
- Abuse or Addiction: 18.2 million Americans meet standard criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism.
- Violent Crimes: Alcohol plays a role in one in three cases of violent crime.
- Drunk Driving Deaths: More than 16,000 people die each year in automobile accidents in which alcohol is involved.
The Verdict
For many people, drinking a moderate amount of alcohol over a long period of time can help reduce some risks of heart disease, balanced by regular exercise and dietary supplements which should include folate. However, there is not enough evidence to suggest a nondrinker should start. And if you are a heavy drinker, consuming more than two drinks per day or at one time, you are doing more harm to your health than good.
Heart Health Tip for Everyone: Whether you drink or not, however regular exercise and healthy eating should be a part of your daily life to keep your heart healthy and strong.
Source: Harvard School of Public Health – Alcohol: Balancing Risks and Benefits