We all want to be productive, successful, and healthy. Of course, health is very important in order to fully enjoy life, and with its lack, nothing is sweet to us. But it turns out that in order to maintain health, in addition to the usual medical procedures and drugs, you can use very non-standard methods. One of them is regular drinking, certainly in reasonable amounts, and in our article we will tell you if there are any benefits from alcohol. It should be immediately noted that in our article we are talking about the benefits of alcohol for an adult and healthy person. For a child, alcohol is harmful in any quantity, there are also a lot of contraindications for the use of alcoholic beverages by adults - these are diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, people with pathologies in the cardiovascular system.

The benefits of alcohol

It is often said that small doses of alcohol are even beneficial for our health. This opinion is supported by a lot of scientific data.
Drinking several glasses of alcohol a week can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes and gallstones. With alcohol, you can lower the amount of cholesterol, dilate blood vessels, improve blood circulation. Therefore, in people who periodically consume small doses of alcoholic beverages, reduced risk occurrence of cardiovascular and other diseases.

A little alcohol before meals improves digestion. With alcohol, you can relieve stress and relax after a day at work. In addition, over a glass of cocktail, chatting with friends becomes much more enjoyable.

Also, alcohol is able to fight radiation. 100 grams of vodka significantly increases the body's resistance to radioactive radiation.

Alcohol myths

However, There are many myths about the benefits of alcohol which are often far from reality.

They say that alcohol helps keep you warm. There is some truth in this statement. However, only the first 50 g of alcohol help to overcome the cooling. They normalize blood circulation and dilate blood vessels. But all the following doses have the opposite effect, as heat transfer increases, and the person freezes even more, without even feeling it.

What with the help of alcohol awakens the appetite, is also only partly true. Only strong drinks (primarily vodka) have a similar effect, and in small quantities. This process takes 15-20 minutes. But this method should not be abused, since alcohol harms the gastric mucosa.

It is also believed that with the help of alcohol, working capacity is increased and the thinking process is activated. However, Australian scientists have proven that the speed of thinking really increases, but the reactions are often erroneous. Besides, concentration of attention and the quality of inferences is significantly are declining.

Many people think that alcohol can lower blood pressure. Of course, it dilates blood vessels, but at the same time significantly speeds up the heartbeat as a result the pressure just keeps going up. Therefore, it should not be considered a cure for hypertension.

Which alcoholic drink to choose

Most healthy alcoholic product is natural red wine. It is a good antioxidant and increases the amount of alpha-lipoproteins with beneficial cholesterol. Some types of beer have similar properties. However, other types of alcohol can also be beneficial.

safe dose of alcohol

When determining the dosage of alcohol, be guided by your feelings. If the feeling of pleasure from drinking the drink is replaced by negative emotions, it is better to stop. A safe dose of alcohol is up to 25-35 grams of pure alcohol for a person who weighs 70 kilograms. If you drink more than 35 grams of pure alcohol, it turns into poison and harms almost all systems and organs.
It should also be noted that the permissible safe dose of alcohol without harm to health can be taken no more than 1 time in four days. Recall that we are talking about pure alcohol, and not about alcoholic beverages.

Of course, the benefits of alcohol is an issue that is rarely discussed in official medicine. Most often, it is his harm that is emphasized. This is due to the fact that the promotion of alcohol consumption can lead to a sharp increase in its use, which threatens with serious consequences. However, reasonable people understand that everything should be in moderation. Drinking alcohol is no exception. To protect yourself from illnesses, you can drink a little alcohol every day, but it is important not to overdo it so that instead of doing good, you do not harm the body.

Everyone knows about the dangers of drinking. At the same time, almost nothing is known about its benefits. But in fact, alcohol has long been used in folk medicine. The hackneyed truth: that in large doses - poison, in small quantities can become a panacea. So, what can be cured with your favorite drinks, and how?

For those who are interested in the positive properties of alcoholic beverages, this article provides interesting facts about the benefits of different alcohol and tips on how to use it correctly.

Today in the world there is an active promotion of a healthy lifestyle, calling for the complete abandonment of alcohol. Such a decision is quite rational, because excessive consumption of hot drinks can cause negative consequences and irreversible changes. But is it as harmful to the human body as its opponents say? Why alcohol is needed in small doses for a person, what are its positive effects, how the athlete's body reacts to it, and when and what drinks should be taken to help your body, read below.

The fact that alcohol is very useful has been said since the time of the great doctor Avicenna, and in the 18th century it was officially proven by several experiments why alcohol is needed. Two groups participated in the processes: “sober-drinkers” and those who consumed 20 ml of pure alcohol each (such an amount is contained in a glass of dry red wine). The second group had a marked decrease in the frequency of infectious diseases, and their mortality was 6% lower than non-drinkers.

Based on the results of the experiment, it can be argued that alcohol is good for the human body, but only when its daily consumption does not exceed 20 ml of pure alcohol. After giving up the daily use of such a dose, there will be no negative consequences, because. this amount is normally tolerated by the body.

What positive effects are observed in those who take a reasonable amount of alcohol daily? It should be noted:

• reduction of stress;
• beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system;
• reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes;
• smoothing the negative effects of hypertension and angina pectoris;
• prevention of diabetes insipidus (type 2);
• reduction of puffiness;
• improvement of the nervous system;
• positive effect on brain function;
• surge of creative forces;
• prevention of lymphoma;
• strengthening immunity, reducing the number of infectious diseases;
• after giving up the correct use of alcohol, there will be no negative effects.

Many see other positive effects as well. For example, patients with anemia or anemia claim that after regularly drinking half a glass of red wine before bed, the number of dizziness and migraines has decreased, and blood pressure has increased, which they usually have very low. It was seen to be beneficial for a woman who takes half a glass of drink a day - many of the surveyed improved their menstrual cycle and improved skin condition. This is all due to the increased content of antioxidants and vitamins in wine.

What are the benefits of drinks

In order to improve your own health, you need not only to know when and how much alcohol to drink. The benefits of each alcoholic drink for the human body are different, so knowing their features can only have positive consequences.

Wine

Wine is a truly noble alcohol, which since ancient Greece has been equated with the blood of the Gods. Previously, this drink was considered a real panacea for the body, because those who take it daily suffered much less from heart disease, remained young and beautiful much longer. It was given even to wounded soldiers in order to reduce pain shock and accelerate blood clotting.

The positive effects of wine come from the grape's antioxidants, which are stored and concentrated when the fruit is fermented to make a hot drink. When choosing a wine for healing, it is important to pay attention to its composition, which should not contain various powder or sweetening ingredients.

The benefits of wine for a person are great, because it protects the heart and blood vessels from wear, reduces the risk of plaque deposition, improves blood flow to the brain, speeding up its work. This is due to fructose, antioxidants, vitamins B and K contained in the drink.

Beer

Every active supporter of proper nutrition will argue that beer is a useless and harmful product. But this is fundamentally wrong regarding reasonable doses of the drink! After all, real beer contains only natural ingredients: hops and malt from wheat or barley. The first ingredient helps to restore the hormonal background for girls, because hop cones contain phytohormones that are similar to female estrogen. Malt is formed when barley or wheat germinates. This germ sugar contains a huge amount of vitamins and minerals that are absorbed in the body.

Many are too fond of beer during feasts, drinking a few liters. But the normal daily dose is 300 ml of drink per day. Also, you can’t eat it with snacks, nuts, chips or salted fish, because they contain empty, harmful fats that poison a person. Replace them with unsalted raw nuts or dried fruits.

Those who drink a small amount of beer with dried fruits and honey several times a week can forget about heart ischemia, hormonal disorders and kidney disease.

Vodka and cognac

You can use vodka or cognac in the form of herbal, fruit, vegetable or berry tinctures to fight infectious diseases! It is enough to drink 1 shot before going to bed, and then go to bed under several blankets. The next morning, the condition will improve markedly. But such treatment cannot be used for children under 14 years of age, and for adults, its duration does not exceed a week, so as not to harm the liver.

Athlete's body and alcohol

Many argue that people who exercise should not drink alcohol at all, but is this true? How does the athlete's body react to alcohol, what can be the positive consequences for them and what drinks can you drink?

For example, beer contains a lot of simple sugar, which is necessary for those trying to gain mass in the gym. After training, you do not need to drink it in liters, just drink 250 ml of dark high-quality beer, then there is a quick recharge and muscle recovery.

Athletes can afford half a glass of red wine several times a week, because their heart is actively working during prolonged exercise, so to smooth out the effects of stress, you need to get a dose of antioxidants, which are rich in wine.

Alcohol is good for athletes, but only for those who take it in reasonable amounts. The daily dose for such people is halved, that is, you can consume no more than 10 ml of pure alcohol per day.

Alcohol can be not only harmful, but also beneficial for the human body, the main thing is to monitor its quality, and also take into account your daily dose, which should not exceed 20 ml. pure alcohol per day (this is half a glass of vodka or cognac, a glass of red wine).

Namochi Mantou

evidence-based medicine

About the benefits and harms of alcohol

“Alcohol in small doses is good for any amount” is a joke that doctors like to remember, explaining why they prefer not to tell patients about the possible benefits of moderate drinking. There is no doubt that excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to health. But over moderate doses, battles have been going on for more than a year.

First you need to understand what "moderate use" is. The fact is that in different countries the norms are very different. Differences start with what counts as one "serving" (or "drink"): in the UK, for example, this is 8 grams of alcohol, while in Japan it is almost 20. In the USA, 14 grams of alcohol is considered a serving: this is the equivalent of 350 milliliters (about a can of ) beer, 150 milliliters (about a glass) of wine or 45 milliliters (about a glass) of vodka.

Accordingly, ideas about when to stop are also different everywhere. In the UK, 3-4 drinks (i.e. 24-32 grams of alcohol) per day for a man are considered "not to cause noticeable harm to health"; for women, this is 2-3 servings (16-24 grams). In Japan, men are officially advised to drink no more than two servings of sake a day (39.5 grams of alcohol); there are no guidelines for women. Finally, in the US, men are advised to drink no more than two servings a day (28 grams), and women - no more than one (14 grams). By the way, the norms for women are less, not only because they usually weigh less, but also because of gender differences in alcohol metabolism.

Different ideas about moderation lead to some confusion in talking about the benefits and harms of "moderate drinking", but still, usually in such cases we are talking about 10-30 grams of alcohol per day. And, apparently, any alcohol: attempts to find out which drinks are better for health and which are worse (for example, whether red wine really has benefits) did not give convincing results.

It should be noted that there is a serious problem with the science of the benefits and harms of alcohol: long-term randomized studies (that is, those where people would be randomly divided into groups and some were given alcohol for a long time, while others were not) were not conducted on this topic. All existing works can be divided into two types: short-term, studying the effect of alcohol on specific physiological parameters, and long-term observational, which usually compares the health of those who drink moderately and those who do not drink at all. But there are problems with both types of studies: short-term studies can only detect short-term effects, and long-term observational studies lack randomization, that is, the randomness of distribution. The group of those who do not drink at all may include, for example, people with an alcohol dependence in the past or people with serious illnesses, including mental illnesses - and these factors can greatly affect their life expectancy and, accordingly, their results.

Benefit or harm

However, in the absence of other scientific evidence, one has to rely on what is available. Numerous studies in different countries ( , , ) have shown that people who drink alcohol moderately have slightly lower mortality rates than teetotalers. A meta-analysis of 34 papers on this topic found that the lowest mortality rate was among those men and women who consumed an average of 6 grams of alcohol (that is, about half the American drink) per day.

Such studies have severe critics: the authors of several review analyzes ( , ) argue that many works on this topic contain errors and, for example, if people with alcohol dependence in the past are excluded from the “teetotalers” group, then the apparent healing effect of drinking small doses practically disappears.

In any case, it is important here not to fall into the temptation to see persistent causal relationships where, in fact, there is only correlation. Mortality rates, even in a large sample, can be influenced by hundreds of different factors that are very difficult to take into account in a study. Just because moderate drinkers live longer doesn't necessarily mean that it's alcohol that lengthens their lives. Although there are grounds for such an assumption.

Benefit

A large number of scientific papers have shown the association of moderate alcohol consumption with a reduced risk of developing a wide variety of problems of the cardiovascular system. Among them are coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, peripheral arterial disease. Alcohol is associated with lower mortality in people with high blood pressure.

Some studies show that light drinkers - both women and men - have a lower risk of developing gallstones compared to teetotalers.

Fairly strong evidence exists that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of developing diabetes.

However, all these positive effects disappear with an increase in the amount of alcohol - usually after 3-4 drinks per day in men and 2-3 in women. That is, with more intensive use of alcohol, the association with positive health indicators is lost and a negative correlation begins to be noted: the more you drink, the worse your health. Graphs in so many studies on this topic resemble the letter "J": with moderate use, morbidity / mortality goes down a little compared to the "zero" level of use, and then linearly up with increasing dose.

Harm

But with the possible benefits of moderate drinking, everything is, of course, not so simple. Even light alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of certain types of cancer. This is especially pronounced with breast cancer in women: according to some reports, up to 8 percent of breast cancer cases can be associated with a woman's drinking. Alcohol is associated with an increased risk of developing head and neck tumors (especially when combined with smoking), hepatocellular cancer in people with hepatitis C, and colorectal cancer (although data are conflicting).

While pancreatic cancer is associated only with heavy drinking (for example, 57 drinks per week for men), and the same can be said for pancreatitis: apparently, its increased risk is associated only with the use of large doses of alcohol.

It should be added that even a slight consumption of alcohol, according to some reports, can increase the risk of injury.

To drink or not to drink

Given the multitude of these factors, physicians around the world are reluctant to advise patients to deliberately consume alcohol "for health." The position of the World Health Organization is not completely clear: the WHO European office believes that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, although one of the WHO reports refers to a “low-risk” level - no more than 20 grams per day five days a week. And yet, most of the world's recommendations say: if a person drinks anyway, then he can continue to drink, but in moderation. Many studies refer specifically to American norms (for example, they are contained in the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans for 2015-2020") - no more than two servings (14 grams of pure alcohol, corresponding, let me remind you, about a glass of wine, a can of beer or a glass of vodka) per day for men and no more than one for non-pregnant women.

Alcohol is definitely not indicated for pregnant women: although scientists do not have enough data to talk about the dangers of small doses of alcohol for the fetus, it has not yet been possible to establish a safe level of consumption, so it is best not to tempt fate. In addition, refraining from even moderate consumption is worthwhile for those who once had an alcohol dependence or a history of alcoholism in the family, and anyone who has alcohol-related diseases of the liver or pancreas.

Hello dear readers! Today let's raise a sensitive topic that many care about, but the truth about which is often hushed up. So, at gunpoint, the well-known alcohol is the benefits and harms of its use. Did you think that alcohol is equally harmful for everyone?

That an alcoholic is an unemployed, degraded person? That drinking moderately will still become addicted? That the statistics of deaths from alcohol addiction are fiction? Let's try to find out if this is true!

Features of perception

Scientists have found that susceptibility to alcohol and its tolerance directly depend on the nationality of the drinker. So the European genotype of consumers of alcoholic beverages in the process of drinking experiences a surge of strength, euphoria, and the detrimental consequences of such libations come after many years.

It should be understood that such consequences are inevitable with the active consumption of alcoholic beverages. Usually they manifest themselves in a violation of health, in the form of:

• cirrhosis of the liver;
• myocardial dystrophy;
• pancreatitis;
• gastritis;
• hemolytic anemia;
• polyneuritis or polyneuropathy;
• amnesic syndrome.

But the Asian genotype (Japan, China) experiences symptoms of poisoning and intoxication after small doses of alcoholic beverages. And everything is to blame for accelerated metabolic processes and the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which in Eastern people quickly transforms into acetaldehyde.

Perhaps that is why the eastern countries are rarely found in the ratings of the most alcoholic. Remember that terrible hangover feeling that covers the body the next day after drinking? An Eastern person experiences the same sensations even while drinking alcohol! That is why health care occupies him more than thoughts of relaxation.

Workaholic vs Alcoholic

The opinion that an alcoholic is an unemployed, aimlessly burning life person has been refuted quite recently. The stereotype was debunked by harsh statistics, according to which a person engaged in a work process from 50 hours a week, which is a little more than a standard working day or a 6-day working week, suffers from alcohol addiction more often than others.

The study was conducted by New Zealand scientists for 30 years on a group of enthusiasts born in 1977. The conclusion is simple, the more intensively a person is involved at work, the more often he needs to relax. And what, no matter how alcohol is most effective in this matter!

Russian scientists conducted similar studies, the result of which is not encouraging. Constant stress, the frantic rhythm of megacities and workload leads people to regular consumption of alcoholic beverages. Moreover, exposure to such unloading is recorded more often at the age of 25 to 45 years.

Addiction comes from childhood

In Russia, things are somewhat different. Alcoholism in the country has become much younger, which caused concern and a lot of controversy in scientific circles. Studying the phenomenon of rampant drunkenness, scientists came to the conclusion that alcohol addiction can form even in childhood.

And this is not about the genetic theory of its origin. Eating habits are to blame. So in the traditional diet of formula-fed infants, kefir is always present, containing alkaloids in small doses (the alkaloid salsolinol is one of the causes of alcohol dependence).

Kvass is also nothing more than a natural product of fermentation and contains small doses of ethanol. The consumption of these drinks is unlikely to lead to addiction, there is no evidence for this, but it is capable of developing eating habits.

Drinking culture

Alcoholism itself is not such an ancient diagnosis, although the history of alcoholic beverages goes back to ancient times. If we consider it as a poison, then it is worth remembering that poison in small doses only benefits health. A moderate consumption of alcoholic products:

• trains blood vessels;
• contributes to the inhibition of the aging process;
• increases concentration and reaction rate;
• prevents colds.

We are talking about quality alcoholic beverages, mainly wine and vodka. In addition to ethanol and alkaloids, alcoholic beverages contain naturally occurring antioxidants that are beneficial to health.

Alcoholism cause of death

In the direct sense, alcoholism can kill many years after the decision to take part in the alcohol marathon. Why does propaganda keep saying that the death rate from alcohol is increasing every year? The reason for this is overuse.

1. Poisoning by alcohol and surrogates.
2. Murder and crime.
3. Accidents and accidents.
4. Strokes and heart attacks.
5. Suicide.

According to WHO, alcohol sends more than 2.5 million people to the world every year! Only from alcohol poisoning, Russia annually sees off 0.5 million citizens on their last journey.

A little about the benefits

Branded by medicine and elevated to the status of evil on a universal scale, alcohol, in fact, can be very useful.

Pure vodka is an excellent antioxidant, and it also removes toxins from the lungs of people working in factories where the air is polluted. It has a beneficial effect on digestion, curbing cholesterol levels. It is excellent at lowering blood sugar levels, which is also beneficial for health.

In combination with salt, it copes well with indigestion, with garlic it cleanses blood vessels and improves tone, and with hot pepper it becomes a prophylactic against acute respiratory infections. In addition, many herbal tinctures are made on the basis of alcohol, but at the same time they only benefit health!

Outcome

Summing up, I want to talk about personal observations. My body is very susceptible to alcoholic products, and knowing this feature, I do not abuse its intake. But I cannot deny myself the pleasure of having a glass of cognac or tart wine, or drinking vodka on occasion.

If we consider alcohol solely from the point of view of benefits, you need to clearly understand at what point your blood vessels expanded, you received a positive charge and stop. Try introducing an aperitif into your diet, as it has long been called a glass of alcohol before eating. It not only awakens the appetite, but also prepares the stomach for food!

You will be surprised to learn that moderate drinkers are much less prone to various health disorders than frank teetotalers. And the long-livers of the Caucasus from adolescence use natural wines made from local grape varieties.

Very soon I will write an article about the useful daily intake of alcohol. I'm sure it will be interesting. Subscribe to my blog updates, share useful information on social networks and don't forget to leave comments!!

See you soon, Pavel Dorofeev.