Alcohol and Health: Which Alcohol Is Good for Health?

The AHA notes that drinking more than a moderate amount can raise certain fats in the blood, known as triglycerides. Combined with high “bad” LDL cholesterol or low “good” HDL cholesterol, this can lead to fat buildup in the walls of the arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Keep reading to learn about the effects of alcohol on the body and the potential benefits of drinking or not drinking it. It’s worth noting that current guidelines advise against drinking alcohol as a way to improve health. Current alcoholic beverage labels in the US warn of the risks of driving under the influence of alcohol, adverse effects on general health, and risks for a developing fetus — but there’s no mention of cancer.

Gut health

Cancer happens when cells in the body begin to grow out of control due to a mutation. However, studies investigating the link between alcohol and weight have provided inconsistent results. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) note that drinking less or not at all is better for your health. Heavy drinking also has been linked to intentional injuries, such as suicide, as well as accidental injury and death.

Can An Alcoholic Ever Drink Again?

Drinking is not known for helping people look their best, but the special antioxidants in wine (such as phytochemicals and resveratol) can increase energy levels and combat signs of aging. Beer has a similar number of calories as sugary soft drinks, ounce for ounce, whereas red wine has twice as much. When it comes to alcohol, if you don’t drink, don’t start for health heroin addiction reasons. You’ll meet hundreds of fellow Reframers in our 24/7 Forum chat and daily Zoom check-in meetings. Receive encouragement from people worldwide who know exactly what you’re going through!

Liver Disease

Fat accumulation hinders the liver’s vital metabolic functions, including blood sugar regulation, cholesterol processing, and nutrient absorption. It also increases the risk of inflammation around the liver, known as alcoholic hepatitis. After a week of not drinking, you will probably notice that your sleep pattern is beginning to normalize.

In contrast, we suggest that alcohol consumption was adopted because it has social benefits that relate both to health and social bonding. Similarly, a meta-analysis of data from 34 studies with more than one million participants also found a survival benefit to moderate drinking. In this analysis, men who consumed up to four drinks a day were up to 17 percent less likely to die prematurely, while women who consumed up to two drinks daily had an 18 percent lower risk of premature death. These guidelines also caution against heavy drinking and binge drinking — and stress that less is more when it comes to alcohol.

If alcohol continues to accumulate in your system, it can destroy cells and, eventually, damage your organs. You probably already know that excessive drinking can affect you in more ways than one. Living a  sober lifestyle can be difficult, but for those of us who still want to answer cravings for boozy beverages, there are plenty of alcohol alternatives to choose from that make it easier.

The study found that those who reported consuming two UK units of alcohol per day had a one-third reduction in their risk of developing gallstones. “Researchers emphasized that their findings show the benefits of moderate alcohol intake but stress that excessive alcohol intake can cause health problems,” according to the study. In 2017, the European Union reported nearly 23,000 cancer cases tied to light to moderate alcohol use, with half attributed to female breast cancers. Even at levels as low as three drinks per week on average, there is a slight but measurable increase in breast cancer risk.

Instead the ongoing scientific discussion is about how to research and classify the health effects of relatively low alcohol consumption and how to communicate to the public about those effects. Most mental disorders occur much more often than expected by chance among people who are abusing alcohol or are alcohol dependent (Kessler et al. 1996). Of these individuals, those is alcohol ever good for you who are alcohol dependent are more likely than alcohol abusers to have mental disorders. In fact, alcohol dependence elevates the risk for all types of affective and anxiety disorders (Kessler et al. 1996). Learn more about the results of some large prospective cohort studies of alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease.

Many are exploring ways to cut back, including the Dry January Challenge or alcohol-free drinks. Heavy drinking can also cause problems well beyond the health of the drinker — it can damage important relationships. It’s all too common that problem drinking disrupts bonds with a spouse, family members, friends, coworkers, or employers. For example, it may be used to define the risk of illness or injury based on the number of drinks a person has in a week. Many people drink alcohol as a https://ecosoberhouse.com/ personal preference, during social activities, or as a part of cultural and religious practices. People who choose not to drink make that choice for the same reasons.

• Still, newer research from 2023 suggests that no amount of alcohol is protective against all-cause mortality.
• In addition, this study (and others like it) is based on a large number of people, which is helpful to detect trends but can overlook important individual factors.
• Better sleep also positively impacts mood, cognitive function, and immune health.
• My friend, if you can go months and months without drinking, you can do anything!

These wines for weight loss are both waist-friendly and wallet-friendly. Yet even official guidelines can’t capture the nuance and individual factors that might shift the outcomes of drinking for any one person at any one time. If, perhaps, you know you’re at high risk of developing cancer, then cutting out alcohol entirely might make sense. If, on the other hand, you’re more worried about a heart attack, then maybe that’s not a reason to become a teetotaler, says Marcus. Public health organizations and researchers try to help, by parsing the evidence simplifying what’s known and unknown for the public.

How Much Do Americans Drink?

Depending on how much and how often you drink, these effects can impact your health and quality of life. Consuming alcohol in excess may cause other heart-related conditions, such as cardiomyopathy — damage to the heart muscle — or arrhythmias, which are abnormal heart rhythms. To better reflect short-term and habitual alcohol consumption and its effects, future studies need to use more reliable measurements of alcohol exposure rather than self-reported intake. Moderate alcohol consumption has some potential benefits for the body, but these do not outweigh the risks of alcohol consumption. You may decide to opt for alcohol-removed beverages, including dealcoholized wine and beers, which have a very low alcohol content.

The researchers also suggest that alcohol may reduce hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) concentrations, or blood glucose levels. A person with diabetes is likely to have an HbA1c level of 6.5% or higher. Fermented alcoholic beverages, such as beer and wine, contain polyphenols such as resveratrol.