Alcohol Information: Alcohol can Prevent Heart Disease

Various studies have suggested that drinking alcohol in moderation - about one drink a day - can reduce heart disease and heart attacks, raise good cholesterol and increase beneficial antioxidants.

'At every level, HDL-cholesterol (good cholesterol) went up in association with the number of drinks consumed per week,” said investigator Dr Paul T. Williams. “People who drank 6 ounces of alcohol per week were five times more likely to have a desirable cholesterol level than non-drinkers.”

In turn, this good cholesterol cuts the risk of heart disease in both men and women. One study even found that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol cuts the risk of a deadly heart attack in men who had already had one heart attack or stroke.

'We found a clear reduction in the risk of death in light to moderate drinkers compared to people who didn’t drink at all,' reports cardiologist Dr J. Michael Gaziano. He added that drinking more than one drink a day does not increase the heart disease prevention benefits.

Alcohol Health Benefits: What is the Healthiest Alcohol?

Wine and beer, especially the darker ales and stouts, reduce heart disease risk and may also reduce atherosclerosis and cataracts by up to 50 percent, especially in diabetics. Darker beers have more antioxidants than the lighter lager beers so they have stronger heart disease and cancer prevention benefits, and both contain more than other beverages, according to research. But the best type of alcohol to prevent heart disease and other health risks is red wine.

Alcohol Health Risks: Is Alcohol Really Good for You?

Experts say that the reported health benefits of moderate drinking on brain functioning has been overstated. The connection between alcohol consumption and cognition - the processes of thinking, learning and memory - remains controversial. Dr. Williams cautioned that his positive results pertain only to drinking in moderation, and that he is not recommending that nondrinkers start consuming alcohol. He added that research shows an increase in blood pressure from alcohol consumption in people who do not exercise regularly.

How to Drink Alcohol Wisely: How Much Alcohol is it Safe to Drink?

• Plan in advance how you’re going to get home, and make sure you don’t spend your taxi money
• Try to drink a glass of water in between every alcoholic beverage – it will keep you hydrated and minimise hangovers
• Don’t accept opened drinks from strangers or leave your glass unattended
• Stay with your friends and make sure they don’t disappear with strangers, especially if they look unduly drunk
• Eat before you go out
• Drink soft drinks in between alcoholic ones if you feel yourself getting too drunk – they look the same so no-one has to know
• Carry a condom to minimise your risk of unsafe sex

Healthy Alcohol Tips and Information: Hangover Cures

If you find you’ve overindulged the night before and feel a hangover coming on:

• It might be the last thing you feel like, but re-hydrate your body by drinking as much water as possible, during the night and when you wake up. It will re-hydrate you
• Eat as soon as possible to up your blood sugar
• Painkillers and antacids help eliminate symptoms like headaches and nausea
• Don’t try drinking more – it will only add to the problem in the long run
• Tea or coffee might help to counteract alcohol’s depressant value, but they also dehydrate you, so if they’re a must then drink extra water
• Give your body a rest from alcohol for a couple of days

For more tips, click here: Alcohol Prevent Hangover Tips

Alcohol Information: How Much Alcohol do People Really Drink?

The number of alcohol-related deaths (such as health complications, accidents and murders) have tripled in the last 20 years, with death rates among men double those among women. The latest official statistics suggest that alcohol is responsible for six per cent of all deaths in the UK.

The average British man drinks 17 units of alcohol a week, and the average woman 7.6 units and rising. A quarter of school pupils 11-15 drink alcohol weekly, and the average household spends almost 6 per cent of its income on alcohol.

According to research, educated women binge drink in their 20s, but curb their habits by their 40s. But the reverse is true of women with little education, whose binge drinking is more likely to take off in their 40s. Less educated men were significantly more likely to be binge drinkers at all ages, with little change across the decades.

Though moderate drinking may show certain health benefits, there is line between moderate use and alcohol or substance abuse. Learn how to help a drug addict if drug addiction is getting severe.

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Alcoholism - The Signs: Find out what to look for to see if someone you know is an alcoholic.

Alcohol: The Health Dangers: Understand the Health risks involved with heavy drinking.

Alcohol & Driving: Know your limits.

Drinking & Depression: Understand how drinking can cause depression in certain people.

Alcohol and Pregnancy: Information and advice on how much you can drink when pregnant and the health effects.

Alcohol & Family Life: How drinking can affect your family life, plus information on teenage drinking.