The existence of alcohol is contradictory. Alcohol plays a dual role of good and evil in the medical field: excessive drinking leads to serious problems, while small drinking contributes to public health.
How much wine is appropriate to drink? It depends on whether a person has a high risk of heart disease, diabetes or breast cancer. But there is a bottom line: it is useless to drink only 5-6 cups on Saturday night, but it is different to drink 1-2 cups every day.
"We don't encourage anyone to start drinking," said Loran Gonzlat of the Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health, who led the study. After all, alcoholism has always been an important health problem, and even moderate drinking may be unbearable for patients with liver disease.
Studies have shown that drinking 1-4 cups a day for people over 40 can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease. On the contrary, drinking 5-6 cups a day will obviously increase the possibility of heart disease.
However, the frequency of drinking seems to be crucial. Drinking less several times a week (drinking 1-2 cups every day or every other day) has the strongest protective effect on the heart. The link between alcohol and breast cancer is still controversial. Some studies show that drinking alcohol slightly increases the risk of breast cancer. For individuals, this danger is minimal.
Why do people drink?
Drinking alcohol can increase the level of dopamine, a "happiness factor" in the brain, so many people will feel a sense of pleasure or craving for alcohol after drinking alcohol (especially in the early stage)-this may be one of the few "benefits" of drinking alcohol, and this "reward mechanism" is precisely the reason why many people gradually become addicted to alcohol and find it difficult to quit.
Alcohol in wine can produce central nervous system inhibition. Once long-term heavy drinkers suddenly stop or reduce drinking, alcohol withdrawal syndrome will appear. This is due to the rebound and excitement of the central nervous system, the disorder of dopamine system, and various symptoms or signs.
The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal show that the human body has become physically dependent on alcohol. Symptoms vary in severity, ranging from mild anxiety, tachycardia, shaking hands, insomnia, nausea or vomiting, to temporary hallucinations, aura, auditory hallucinations or delusions, to anxiety, seizures, delirium and even life-threatening.
Although the early symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are mild, if they appear repeatedly and are not effectively treated, they will get worse every time until convulsions and delirium appear.
-The benefits of moderate drinking.
1, help digestion: moderate consumption of white wine helps digestion. Alcohol, vitamin B2 and acid contained in liquor have a good effect on digestion, mainly because these substances can stimulate the secretion of gastric juice and saliva.
2. Drive away the cold: Drinking white wine in moderation can drive away the cold. Liquor has the function of dispelling cold. Drinking some white wine in moderation in cold weather can warm your body.
3, reduce blood lipids: moderate consumption of liquor can reduce blood lipids. Liquor can promote blood circulation, and drinking some liquor properly can reduce blood concentration, thus reducing blood lipids.
4. Cheer up: Drinking white wine in moderation can cheer up the spirit. Alcohol contained in liquor can stimulate sympathetic nerve excitement during metabolism, so drinking some liquor in moderation has a certain effect on refreshing the mind and preventing depression.
5, eliminate fatigue: moderate drinking liquor can eliminate fatigue. Alcohol contained in liquor can stimulate the central nervous system of the brain, so drinking some liquor in moderation can eliminate fatigue, make thinking more active, and thus improve work efficiency.
-Harm of excessive drinking
1, the effect on the liver
The liver is an organ that metabolizes alcohol. Long-term excessive drinking will lead to alcoholic fatty liver, and even develop into cirrhosis and even liver cancer.
2. Effects on brain and nervous system
After alcohol enters the human body, it can reach the brain within 30 seconds, affecting the brain and nervous system. Long-term heavy drinking will greatly increase the incidence of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
3. Effects on cardiovascular system
Long-term heavy drinking and excessive alcohol intake will affect the normal ability of myocardium, and eventually the myocardium will become weaker and weaker, and the heart will increase compensation, and the final result will be chronic heart failure.
4, the influence on the digestive system
Excessive drinking stimulates gastric acid secretion, which leads to vomiting and diarrhea, and also affects pancreatic secretion, leading to the problem of nutrient absorption. Therefore, many people who drink alcohol for a long time will have anemia due to long-term excessive intake of alcohol, which will affect the digestion and absorption of nutrients and eventually lead to malnutrition anemia.
-The benefits of drinking beer in moderation
1, Protecting the Heart: An Italian study found that participants who drank moderate amounts of beer had a 42% lower risk of heart disease than teetotalers. But drinking beer every day should not exceed 1 pint (about 473 ml), which is equivalent to 1.4 cans.
2, good for the brain and memory: American research found that participants drinking beer before doing brain puzzle training questions will help improve test scores.
3. Prevention of type 2 diabetes: Dutch research found that drinking beer in moderation (1~2 cups) every day can significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
4. Good for kidney health: Finnish research found that drinking a bottle of beer every day can reduce the incidence of kidney calculi by 40%. Researchers say that beer has diuretic effect and helps to keep the kidneys healthy.
5. Lowering blood pressure: American studies have found that participants who drink moderate amounts of beer are less likely to suffer from high blood pressure than those who drink wine.
6. Prevent fractures. Tufts University in the United States found that participants who drink two glasses of beer a day will increase their bone density by 4.5%, but more than two glasses will lead to a decrease of bone density by 5.2%.
-The dangers of drinking too much beer
1, excessive drinking is easy to cause cancer, and beer contains excessive nitrosamines, which are strong carcinogens.
Excessive drinking is extremely harmful to the liver. Long-term heavy drinking is harmful to various organs and systems of human body, which can lead to chronic alcoholism, hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis and other diseases.
3. Excessive drinking may lead to kidney calculi. The wort of brewing beer contains calcium, oxalic acid and a large number of guanine nucleotides, which can greatly increase the amount of uric acid in human body and form stones in human body.
4. Excessive drinking will damage the heart and weaken the function of fat cells in myocardial tissue, thus causing tachycardia.
5. Excessive drinking will directly damage the oral cavity and esophageal mucosa. Pigments and nitrosamines contained in smoked products commonly used for drinking, such as salted fish, bacon and braised pork. Interaction with alcohol can easily damage the mucosa of mouth and esophagus.
Write at the end:
Through the above understanding, I believe everyone knows that beer and liquor vary from person to person, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages, but paying attention to moderation in everything is the best explanation for the health.