WHAT IS ALCOHOL?
Alcohol is created when grains, fruits and vegetables are fermented. Fermentation is a process that uses yeast or bacteria to change the sugars in the food into alcohol. Fermentation is used in many other food items like bread, cheese, cider, beer, wine, tea, chocolate, and coffee.
*If alcohol is a natural product then why is the legal age 21?
As we know that when people drink alcohol it directly goes into the blood stream and effects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) which controls all body functions. And as scientists say that the teenager’s brain is still in process of developing and they are still discovering the affects of drinking alcohol before the age of 21.
FACTS:
– Legal drinking age all over the US is 21
– Women absorb alcohol in bloodstream more faster than a man and metabolize it slower
– Alcohol does not relive depression- it makes it worse
– Excessive drinking can reduce the testosterone level in males which can lead to impotence.
– Most wine coolers have the same amount of alcohol as 12 oz beer.
– In addition to being a depressant, alcohol was used as a local anesthetic and irritant.
– Alcohol is found in many beverages, prescription and non prescription drugs.
HOW MANY UNITS TO DRINK?
Drinking in moderation doesn’t really have any adverse affects. The government advises that people should not drink more than 3-4 units for men (equivalent to 1 pint), 2-3 units for women (around 175 ml glass of wine) on a regular basis. Regular means on everyday basis or most of the days of week.
IS ALCOHOL GOOD OR BAD?
That’s a thought to ponder over. For me its like a mixed message: good if taken in moderate proportion and bad as it leads to health hazards and many diseases. In safest way it is best to avoid alcohol. Do not start drinking for the health benefits it serves. Alcohol drinking in moderate terms is for people who drink it on regular basis.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF MODERATE ALCOHOL USE:
– Reduce risk of developing heart disease
– Reduce risk of dying of heart attack
– Lower risk of gall stones
– Possibly reduce risk of developing diabetes.
– Lower the occurrence of dementia in people over 70
Even with moderate drinking does not mean that it acts as a benefit for every individual. It applies for an older adult or an adult suffering from high cholesterol. If you are middle aged this moderate use of alcohol can do more harm than good. In fact if you are a woman and drinking in moderate terms, please consult a doctor for additional folate supplements to help reduce the risk of breast cancer associated with alcohol use.
Another important risk factor which people are not aware is that even people with moderate drinking among the people with Hepatitis C develop permanent liver damage. So, people suffering from Hepatitis C shouldn’t drink at all.
And the best way to stay healthy is to avoid alcohol and live a healthy life by eating healthy n exercising daily.
Benefits of some alcoholic drinks:
- 1. Beer:
– Stronger bones, stronger heart- reduced risk of heart disease, lowers risk of developing kidney stones by 40 %, boosting brain health- a glass a day may keep Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias at a bay. Reducer risk of cancer, diabetes, hypertension. Beer is beneficial to reduce these risk factors and which prevails mostly in 50’s or 60’s age group.
– Beer also works as an excellent hair conditioner. So girls here is your reason to use spare beer if you don’t like to drink.
- 2. Wine:
– Hippocrates often known as father of western medicine, promoted wine as part of a healthy diet. He also claimed that wine was good for infecting wounds as well as a liquid in which medicines could be mixed and taken more easily by patients. He even said that wine should be used to alleviate pain during childbirth, for symptoms of diarrhea and even lethargy.
– Women absorb alcohol more rapidly than men because of their lower body water content and different levels of stomach enzymes. Therefore moderate wine consumption will be a lower amount for women than men.
HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE BODY?
– Alcohol is a depressant which means it slows down the information being carried in your central nervous system. Some people who are depressed or stressed for any reason think that drinking alcohol will relieve their stress. But they are absolutely wrong; it will do more worse than good. Feeling happy or euphoric will be just for few minutes but it’s after results are very bad if taken in large quantities and on daily basis. It can lead to alcohol intoxication. Depending on the person, intoxication can make person very friendly and talkative or angry and aggressive which is why people are told not to drink and drive. They may act totally out of character.
– When large amount of alcohol are consumed in a short period of time, alcohol poisoning can result. Violent vomiting is usually the first symptom and then progresses to extreme sleepiness, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood sugar, seizures and possibly death.
SAY NO TO ALCOHOL DURING PREGNANCY:
Well we all know that drinking alcohol during pregnancy is dangerous and it can cause lifelong health problems for your baby. Being aware of this fact we still misuse it during pregnancy.
“The problem with drinking alcohol during pregnancy is that there is no amount that has been proven to be safe”- says Jacques Moritz, MD director of gynecology at St. Luke’s Roosevelt hospital, New York.
Some doctors recommend that you completely avoid alcohol during pregnancy and some say little amounts won’t do any harm. Chances are your friends might confide to the same. And you are confused?
For decades researchers have said that alcohol drinking is harmful for your baby. But the potential effects of small amounts of alcohol on baby are still not well understood.
SO BETTER TO AVOID, THEN TO BE SORRY LATER ON.
Adverse effects of alcohol on baby:
If a child is affected with alcohol during pregnancy it is called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the affects are:
– Infants may show slow growth and developmental delay, unusual facial features, irritability, brain and neurological disorders, mental retardation and problems with their attachment to their fathers.
– Kids and school-age children may have problems with learning, low tolerance, frustration, inadequate social boundaries and difficulty reading.
– Teenagers can have continuous learning problems, depression, anxiety and inappropriate sexual behavior.
FOR ALCOHOLIC MOTHERS, IT IS BETTER TO PRACTICE QUITTING BEFORE CONCEIVING OR PLANNING FOR A BABY.
SO ALWAYS DRINK IN SMALL QUANTITY AND YOU WILL NEVER FACE ANY TROUBLE!!!!!
Healthy lifestyle 