Alcohol: Possible benefits, risks, and more

These findings, the researchers say, support animal studies indicating that moderate alcohol consumption plays a role in protecting hippocampal volume through boosting the growth of new nerve cells in that region of the brain. There is also some evidence that genes influence how alcohol affects the cardiovascular system. An enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase helps metabolize alcohol. One variant of this enzyme, called alcohol dehydrogenase type 1C (ADH1C), comes in two “flavors.” One quickly breaks down alcohol, the other does it more slowly. Moderate drinkers who have two copies of the gene for the slow-acting enzyme are at much lower risk for cardiovascular disease than moderate drinkers who have two genes for the fast-acting enzyme.

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• Alcohol interacts in potentially dangerous ways with a variety of medications, including acetaminophen, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, painkillers, and sedatives.
• So there are a number of different dietary patterns that are of interest and that have been thought about or studied about having differential impact.
• Fermented alcoholic beverages, such as beer and wine, contain polyphenols such as resveratrol.
• 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.
• Some guidelines recommend that moderate drinking among adults over 65 be limited to one drink per day.

Fatty liver gradually develops in 90% of those who drink more than a 1/2 ounce (15 ml) of alcohol per day (4, 5). The first of these to appear is fatty liver, characterized by increased fat inside liver cells. By reducing self-consciousness and shyness, alcohol may encourage people to act without inhibition. At the same time, it impairs judgment and may promote behavior people may end up regretting (1, 2).

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A moderate amount of alcohol relaxes the nervous system, helping people unwind and feel at ease. Studies why is alcohol good for you suggest that light drinking can temporarily reduce stress and anxiety levels. Alcohol blocks the absorption of folate and inactivates folate in the blood and tissues. It’s possible that this interaction may be how alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast, colon, and other cancers.

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And so that, of course, got publicized and spun, and I think everybody has their different takes on which one is best for the heart. And then there were some studies that came out that maybe conflicted with that, that were quieter. But there is this level of like, well, I never have a hard drink, but I stick to wine so that feels safe. Or, oh, I just have one beer a day, but perhaps that beer is Halfway house something that’s like 14% and they’re feeling falsely safe there.

The Harvard School of Public Health note that moderate alcohol consumption may also prevent the formation small blood clots that block arteries in the heart, neck and brain – a common cause of heart attack and stroke. However, some kombucha makers are now producing hard kombucha, which has an alcohol content similar to beer or hard seltzer. Regular kombucha has some health benefits, including reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and aiding in digestion.